Banded Bay Cuckoo
Encyclopedia
The Banded Bay Cuckoo or Bay-banded Cuckoo (Cacomantis sonneratii) is a species of small cuckoo
found in the Indian Subcontinent
and Southeast Asia
. Like others in the genus they have a round nostril. They are usually founded in well wooded areas mainly in the lower hills. Males sing from exposed branches during the breeding season, which can vary with region. They are distinctive both in their calls as well as plumage with a white eyebrowed appearance and the rufous upperparts with regular dark bands and the whitish underside with fine striations.
The overall length is about 22 cm making it about the same size as the syntopic Cacomantis merulinus and Cacomantis variolosus. The hepatic forms of those can be similar but supercilium, long beak and barred tail distinguish this species.
.
Four subspecies are generally recognized:
Some sources also recognize malayanus (Chasen & Kloss, 1931) from Peninsular Malaysia and schlegeli (Junge, 1948) from Sumatra, Borneo and Palawan (SW Philippines).
, Red-whiskered Bulbul
, White-bellied Erpornis
, Scarlet Minivet
, bulbuls and small babblers (Stachyris
spp.). The eggs resemble those of the hosts. The incubation and nesting are not well documented. Fledglings of the host are evicted.
Populations are often migratory or partially migratory. In India, they are found mainly during the monsoons.
They are found in well-wooded forests, mainly in hill areas. Insects are their primary diet. They capture insects by gleaning
as well as by aerial sallying.
The breeding season varies widely from region to region. Near Bombay they are known to lay eggs from February to August, Assam from April to August while they seem to sing through much of the year in the Eastern Ghats
. In Sri Lanka, young have been seen in June and October while adults sing from January to May in the Malay Peninsula.
The call of this species is distinctive. It is high-pitched four note whistle that has been transcribed as "wee-ti wee-tee" or "smoke-yer-pepper". The frequency starts at 2.4 kHz and each note falls in pitch with the strophe lasting a second.
Cuckoo
The cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The order Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos . Some zoologists and taxonomists have also included the unique Hoatzin in the Cuculiformes, but its taxonomy remains in dispute...
found in the Indian Subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. Like others in the genus they have a round nostril. They are usually founded in well wooded areas mainly in the lower hills. Males sing from exposed branches during the breeding season, which can vary with region. They are distinctive both in their calls as well as plumage with a white eyebrowed appearance and the rufous upperparts with regular dark bands and the whitish underside with fine striations.
Description
The adults are bright rufous or bay on the head and back and are broadly barred with dark brown. The bill is long and slightly curved. A whitish supercilium is distinctive above a dark eye-line. The wing is darker and tail is graduated with a dark brown centre. The tail has a subterminal black band and white tips to the feathers. The sexes are alike. The iris is yellow and the bill is black while the base of the lower mandible is greenish grey. The tarsi are grey. The juvenile is similar but has a pale lower mandible and white fringes to the feathers of the upper body.The overall length is about 22 cm making it about the same size as the syntopic Cacomantis merulinus and Cacomantis variolosus. The hepatic forms of those can be similar but supercilium, long beak and barred tail distinguish this species.
Taxonomy and systematics
The species was originally classed in the genus Penthoceryx by John Latham. The type specimen came from Northeastern India. The species epithet is after the French naturalist and explorer Pierre SonneratPierre Sonnerat
Pierre Sonnerat was a French naturalist and explorer.Sonnerat was the nephew of the botanist Pierre Poivre. He made several voyages to southeast Asia, visiting the Philippines and Moluccas between 1769 and 1772, and India and China from 1774 to 1781. He was the first person to give a scientific...
.
Four subspecies are generally recognized:
- the nominate form from India, Nepal, Thailand, Malay Peninsula
- C. s. musicus LjunghSven Ingemar LjunghSven Ingemar Ljungh, also spelled Liungh was a Swedish civil servant, naturalist and collector. During his schooling in Jönköping, he was a private student of the lexicographer Håkan Sjögren from whom he learned the Latin language. At high school in Växjö, he received a good education in botany...
, 1804 (from Java, Bali) - C. s. fasciolatus Müller, 1843 (Sumatra)
- C. s. waiti Baker, 1919 (Sri Lanka)
Some sources also recognize malayanus (Chasen & Kloss, 1931) from Peninsular Malaysia and schlegeli (Junge, 1948) from Sumatra, Borneo and Palawan (SW Philippines).
Ecology and behaviour
Like many other cuckoos, they are brood-parasitic and hosts recorded include the Common IoraCommon Iora
The Common Iora is a small passerine bird found across the tropical Indian Subcontinent with populations showing plumage variations, some of which are designated as subspecies. A species found in scrub and forest, it is easily detected from its loud whistles and the bright colours...
, Red-whiskered Bulbul
Red-whiskered Bulbul
The Red-whiskered Bulbul is a passerine bird found in Asia. It is a member of the bulbul family. It is a resident frugivore found mainly in tropical Asia. It has been introduced in many tropical areas of the world where populations have established themselves...
, White-bellied Erpornis
White-bellied Erpornis
The White-bellied Erpornis or simply Erpornis is a species of bird. It is the only member of the genus Erpornis. This bird is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam...
, Scarlet Minivet
Scarlet Minivet
The Scarlet Minivet, Pericrocotus flammeus is a small passerine bird. This minivet is found in tropical southern Asia from the Indian subcontinent east to southern China, Indonesia, and the Philippines. They are common resident breeding birds in forests and other well-wooded habitats including...
, bulbuls and small babblers (Stachyris
Stachyris
Stachyris is a genus of bird in the Timaliidae family.It has been found to be polyphyletic and is in the process of being dismantled. At the moment the genus contains the following species:*Stachyris group...
spp.). The eggs resemble those of the hosts. The incubation and nesting are not well documented. Fledglings of the host are evicted.
Populations are often migratory or partially migratory. In India, they are found mainly during the monsoons.
They are found in well-wooded forests, mainly in hill areas. Insects are their primary diet. They capture insects by gleaning
Gleaning (birds)
Gleaning is a term for a feeding strategy by birds in which they catch invertebrate prey, mainly arthropods, by plucking them from foliage or the ground, from crevices such as rock faces and under the eaves of houses, or even, as in the case of ticks and lice, from living animals. This behavior is...
as well as by aerial sallying.
The breeding season varies widely from region to region. Near Bombay they are known to lay eggs from February to August, Assam from April to August while they seem to sing through much of the year in the Eastern Ghats
Eastern Ghats
The Eastern Ghats or Eastern Ghauts are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats run from West Bengal state in the north, through Orissa and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka. They are eroded and cut through by the...
. In Sri Lanka, young have been seen in June and October while adults sing from January to May in the Malay Peninsula.
The call of this species is distinctive. It is high-pitched four note whistle that has been transcribed as "wee-ti wee-tee" or "smoke-yer-pepper". The frequency starts at 2.4 kHz and each note falls in pitch with the strophe lasting a second.