Blue Malkoha
Ceuthmochares aereus
Odd, dark blue-and-gray cuckoo with a bright yellow bill. Found in thick habitats including forest, forest edge, and thickets. Skulks in the thickest parts of the mid-story, especially preferring vine tangles. Call starts with a hesitant series of high “kik” notes, eventually followed by a long, accelerating trill. Also gives a long up-and-down whistle. Dark coloration and yellow bill are distinctive. Range does not overlap with the similar Green Malkoha.
Identification
The blue malkoha has a greyish belly, head and throat and a heavy yellow bill but subspecies display some differences in plumage colouration. C. aereus aereus has a greenish and blue tail, wings and back, while C. aereus flavirostris has a blue tail, wings and back.<p>The blue malkoha feeds primarily on insects, particularly caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers and crickets; it will also take frogs, slugs, fruit, seeds and leaves. It moves through the tangled vegetation with a series of small hops, snatching prey as it travels. It will accompany other birds and squirrels, taking the insects flushed by them.<p>Unlike some other cuckoos the blue malkoha is not a brood parasite, instead it cares for its own young. Two white and creamy eggs are laid in a nest that is a rough mass of sticks suspended around 2–5 m above the ground. Both parents care for the young.<p>The blue malkoha is an uncommon species and rarely observed due to its secretive behaviour. However it is not considered threatened, and is listed as least concern by the IUCN.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Ceuthmochares aereus
- Authority
- (Vieillot, 1817)
- Order
- Cuculiformes
- Family
- Cuculidae
- Genus
- Ceuthmochares
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Olive-flanked Robin-Chat
Dessonornis anomalus
Dark, compact robin-chat with the least orange of any member of this group. There is considerable geographical variation, but always shows a pale eyebrow and throat, and some rufous on the belly, flanks, rump, and tail. The color of the underparts varies from blackish to white to buff, and the color of the upperparts from black to gray to brown. Some populations show a strongly black-and-orange tail, while others have a tail that is completely rufous. Found in the understory of montane forest. Generally uncommon and skulking. The variable song consists of a mournful, descending series of whistles.
Cryptic Becard
Pachyramphus salvini
Small becard occurring from southwest Colombia to northwest Peru, mainly on the west slope of the Andes and in the Marañon drainage, but (perhaps seasonally?) on the east slope of the Andes as well. Mostly found in foothills, in middle to upper levels of humid montane forest, dry forest, and more open second-growth. Male is mostly gray with bold white edges on the wing feathers and a black cap with pale spectacles. Compare with White-winged Becard, which has a black back and dark lores. Female is very different; look for her brown cap bordered with black, white spectacles, pale yellowish belly, and tawny edges on wing feathers. Extremely similar to Black-and-white Becard, with potential range overlap on the east slope of the Andes in Ecuador and Peru. Male Cryptic shows a narrower upper wingbar, paler lores, a grayer upperside of the tail, and a more slender bill than Black-and-white. Female Cryptic has a duller brownish crown with a narrower black border. These features may all be difficult or impossible to assess in the field; some birds are best left unidentified. Also note voice: song a fast series of two sweet downslurred whistles followed by a stuttered upslurred whistle, often repeated two or three times. Black-and-white’s song is slower, with longer notes.
Tricolored Munia
Lonchura malacca
Small, finchlike bird of weedy and grassy areas in tropical lowlands. Often in small flocks, which associate readily with seedeaters and grassquits. Adult is handsome and striking with rusty upperparts. Black head and underparts are cut by a broad white swath from flanks across the lower breast. Note stout gray bill. Juvenile notably plain, buffy brown overall with stout bluish-gray bill. Note the pointed tail, unlike seedeaters and grassquits. Native to Asia and spreading in New World as an escaped cage bird.
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