Scientific Name: Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus
Malay Name: Sewah-Zamrud Ungu
Chinese Name: 紫金鹃
Range: Found from the Indian subcontinent to southern China and Southeast Asia
Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: xanthorhynchus, amethystinus.
Local Subspecies: xanthorhynchus
Size: 16.5-17 cm
Identification: Male has glossy violet-purple head, upper breast and upperparts, white lower breast to vent with dark bars and bright orange bill with red base. Female resembles Bronze Cuckoo and female Asian Emerald Cuckoo but has reddish-bronze (with slight greenish-tinge) forehead, crown, nape and upperparts and red-based yellowish bill. Juvenile resembles female but has a more rufous-chestnut crown.
Similar looking species: Asian Emerald Cuckoo, Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo, Little Bronze Cuckoo
Habitat: Forest, forest edge, parks and gardens.
Behaviour/Ecology: Frequents canopy on crowns of tall trees. A known brood parasite of the Brown-throated Sunbird and Little Spiderhunter.
Local Status: Uncommon resident
Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2018)
Location: Central Catchment Forest, Dairy Farm Nature Park, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Bukit Batok Nature Park, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Jurong Eco Garden, Pasir Ris Park, Neo Tiew Lane 2 and Pulau Ubin.
- Local extinctions of Singapore birds (Science)
- A Year at Jelutong Tower (Birders' Stories)
Featured reports: Apr 2022, May 2022, Jun 2022, Jul 2022, Aug 2022, Sep 2022, Oct 2022, Nov 2022, Dec 2022, Jan 2023, Feb 2023, Mar 2023, Apr 2023, May 2023, Jun 2023, Jul 2023, Sep 2023, Oct 2023, Jan 2024, Feb 2024, Mar 2024, Apr 2024, May 2024, Jun 2024, Jul 2024, Aug 2024, Sep 2024, Oct 2024
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Violet Cuckoo)
References:
BirdLife International. (2018). Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22684003A130087571.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023
Jeyarajasingam, A., & Pearson, A. (2012). A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Oxford University Press.
Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.
RECOMMENDED CITATION
Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Violet Cuckoo. Retrieved on December 8, 2024 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/violet-cuckoo.