Santa Marta Sabrewing

A small, greenish cuckoo. The male has barred flanks, white flecking on the wing, white patches in front of and behind the eye, and a distinctly red eye surrounded by a red eye-ring. The bronzy-green female has a diagnostic white patch in front of the eye, a plain back, and white patches in the wings. This common resident and migrant is not a habitat specialist, but it prefers riverine and wetland areas where its preferred brood-parasite hosts, weavers and bishops, are common. The distinctive call is a loud, rising, high-pitched “deee-deee-deee-deee-dederik”.

A fairly small, short-tailed bird of forest floor or understory from the lowlands to low elevations in the mountains of Palawan and Balabac. Rufous-brown on the back, wings, and tail, with a white throat and belly and pale orange across the chest, down the sides, and under the base to the tail. Note the gray head and the thin black moustache stripe. Somewhat similar to Palawan Babbler, but smaller, with a much shorter tail, and is found on or near the ground. Song includes a sequence of downslurred, raspy nasal notes.

A typical Old World cuckoo, with gray-and-white plumage and long wings and tail. A brood parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of many other bird species. Breeds throughout Madagascar in virtually all habitats with woody vegetation. Extremely vocal when breeding during the rainy season, giving a distinctive “do-do-ka-foo” song day and night. Easily identified on Madagascar, where it is the only regularly occurring cuckoo. Elsewhere, extremely similar to Lesser Cuckoo. Many individuals probably indistinguishable, though Madagascar Cuckoo has either weak barring or no barring on the undertail, whereas Lesser Cuckoo always shows strong barring. Similar to Common and African Cuckoos, but smaller, with a much blacker tail and rump.