Scientific Name: Hierococcyx sparverioides
Malay Name: Sewah-Tekukur Besar
Chinese Name: 大鹰鹃
Range: Found from the Indian subcontinent to southern China, Indochina and discontinuously to Sumatra and Borneo with some northern populations wintering to Southeast Asia
Taxonomy: Monotypic.
Size: 38-41.5 cm
Identification: Adult is distinctively larger than the other two Hawk-Cuckoo species and has slaty-grey head, brownish-grey upperparts, rufous breast-patch, whitish rest of underparts with dark bars and long tail with broad dark tail-bands. Juvenile resembles adult but has darker brown upperparts with rufous bars, pale rufous nape with dark brown streaks and whitish underparts with bold dark brown drop-like streaks on breast.
Similar looking species: Malaysian Hawk-Cuckoo, Hodgson's Hawk-Cuckoo
Habitat: Forest, forest edge, mangroves, parks and gardens.
Behaviour/Ecology:
Local Status: Uncommon migrant
Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)
Location: Central Catchment Forest, former Bidadari Cemetery, Chinese/Japanese Gardens, Pasir Ris Park, Tuas South and Pulau Ubin.
Featured reports: Mar 2022, Apr 2022, Nov 2022, Dec 2022, Jan 2023, Feb 2023, Apr 2023, Dec 2023, Feb 2024
Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Large Hawk-Cuckoo)
References:
BirdLife International. (2016). Hierococcyx sparverioides. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22728111A94970879.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023
Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.
Yong, D. L. (2008). Hodgson’s Hawk Cuckoo: A Birder’s Nightmare. Singapore Avifauna, 22(1), 12–17.
RECOMMENDED CITATION
Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Large Hawk-Cuckoo. Retrieved on December 8, 2024 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/large-hawk-cuckoo.