The banded bay cuckoo (Cacomantis sonneratii) belongs to the Cuculidae, the family of cuckoos, roadrunners, koels, malkohas and couas.
These cuckoo species are distributed in Indian subcontinent, China and Southeast Asia. The banded bay cuckoo species are brood-parasites, laying eggs in the nest of other birds and relying on the host to raise their young. There are four recognized subspecies of these cuckoo species.
Banded bay cuckoo - Overview
- Scientific name: Cacomantis sonneratii
- Species author: (Latham, 1790)
- Synonyms/Protonym: Cuculus Sonneratii Latham, 1790
- Family: Cuculidae › Cuculiformes › Aves › Chordata › Animalia
- Vernacular names: English: Banded bay cuckoo, Chinese: 栗斑杜鹃, French: Coucou de Sonnerat, German: Sonneratkuckuck, Spanish: Cuco bayo, Russian: Щетинистая кукушка Зоннерата, Japanese: クリイロヒメカッコウ, Tamil: Senkkuyil, Malay: Burung Sewah Takuweh
- Other names: Indian Banded Bay Cuckoo, Bay Cuckoo, Banded Cuckoo
- Distribution: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Philippines
- Diet and feeding habits: insects
- IUCN status listing: Least Concern (LC)
Appearance, physical description and identification
The banded bay cuckoo (Cacomantis sonneratii) is a small cuckoo, measuring about 20 cm in length and weighing 35 grams.The overall plumage of these banded bay cuckoo species is reddish brown on the head and upperparts and whitish on the underparts. The upperparts are barred with brown. There is a dark stripe across the eye. There is a distinctive whitish supercilium above the eye stripe. The nostrils are round.
The wings and tail of banded bay cuckoo species are dark brown. There is a subterminal black band on the tail. The tip of the tail is pale buff. The white underparts have fine dark gray striation. The irises are brownish yellow. The legs are grayish. Their call is a high pitched whistling, "wee-te wee-tee" sound.
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| Birds of India - Image of Banded bay cuckoo - Cacomantis sonneratii by vil.sandi |
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| Indian birds- Picture of Banded bay cuckoo - Cacomantis sonneratii by Sandeep Gangadharan |
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| Birds of India - Photo of Banded bay cuckoo - Cacomantis sonneratii |
Origin, geographical range and distribution
These banded bay cuckoo species are distributed in Indian subcontinent, China and Southeast Asian countries. The nominate subspecies C. s. sonneratii is distributed in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore.The banded bay cuckoo subspecies C. s. musicus is distributed in Indonesia (Java and Bali). The subspecies C. s. fasciolatus is distributed in Sumatra and Borneo of Indonesia and Palawan Island of Philippines. The subspecies C. s. waiti is distributed in Sri Lanka.
Ecosystem and habitat
These banded bay cuckoo species are moderately forest dependent. These species occur in altitudes from 0 to 900 meters. They inhabit both artificial and natural ecosystems. Their artificial terrestrial ecosystems includes agricultural lands, pasture lands and heavily degraded forests.The natural ecosystem of these banded bay cuckoo species includes subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests, foothill forests, deciduous forests, subtropical and tropical dry shrublands, open woodlands, dense broadleaf forests, evergreen forests, fringe lands of forests and subtropical and tropical moist shrublands.
Diet and feeding behavior
The diet of these banded bay cuckoo species is mostly insects. Caterpillars, dragonflies, mantises, grasshoppers and beetles are their primary food. They glean the prey from foliage or the ground. They are also known to hawk the prey in the air.Reproduction and breeding habits
These banded bay cuckoo species are brood-parasites, laying eggs in the nest of other birds and relying on the host to raise their young. The breeding season of these species coincides with the breeding season of the local host species.The breeding season of these banded bay cuckoo species is from February to August in western India. The breeding season is from April to August in north-eastern India. In Sri Lanka, the breeding season is from June to October. The cuckoo chicks are known to evict the eggs or young of the host species.
Migration and movement patterns
The banded bay cuckoo is a partially migratory bird.The populations in Southeast Asia are found to be resident. The populations in India are migratory, found mainly during the monsoons.
Post breeding, the juveniles may disperse and establish in new locations within the range. They may make local movements for feeding and breeding within their range.
Conservation and survival
The global population size of the banded bay cuckoo (Cacomantis sonneratii) has not been quantified. The overall population trend of these species is considered to be stable. Throughout its range it is reported to be common to fairly common. The generation length is 4.2 years. Their distribution size is about 14,800,000 sq.km.The banded bay cuckoo (Cacomantis sonneratii) does not approach the thresholds for being Vulnerable, either under the range size criterion, or under the population trend criterion, or under the population size criterion. Loss of habitat is the main threat that may endanger the survival of these species.
IUCN and CITES status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated the cuckoo species and has listed it as of "Least Concern". CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) status is ‘Not Evaluated’ for the banded bay cuckoo (Cacomantis sonneratii).| Taxonomy and scientific classification of Cacomantis sonneratii | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Cuculiformes |
| Family: | Cuculidae |
| Subfamily: | - |
| Genus: | Cacomantis |
| Species: | C. sonneratii |
| Binomial name: | Cacomantis sonneratii |
| IUCN status listing: |  Least Concern |
1.Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/vil_sandi/8204376316/
Image author: vil.sandi | License: CC BY-ND 2.0 (as on this day)
2.Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BandedBayCuckoo.jpg
Image author: Sandeep Gangadharan | License: CC BY 2.0 (as on this day)
3.Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Banded_Bay_Cuckoo_(Cacomantis_sonneratii).jpg
Image author: Vivekpuliyeri | License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Current topic in Birds of India: Banded bay cuckoo - Cacomantis sonneratii.
