Scientific Name: Cuculus micropterus
Malay Name: Sewah Biasa
Chinese Name: 四声杜鹃
Range: Found from the Indian subcontinent to China, Siberia, Korea and Southeast Asia (except Singapore and Philippines) with the northern populations wintering south to Southeast Asia
Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: micropterus, concretus.
Local Subspecies: micropterus, concretus
Size: 31-33 cm
Identification: Male has greyish head, throat and upper breast, brownish tinge mantle, wings and tail, whitish rest of underparts with blackish bars and greyish-green eyering. Female resembles male but has rufescent wash across breast. Juvenile resembles adult but has browner crown and head-sides, prominent rufous to whitish feather-tips on upperparts and buffish underparts with broken dark bars.
Similar looking species: Himalayan Cuckoo
Habitat: Forest, forest edge, mangroves, parks and gardens.
Behaviour/Ecology:
Local Status: Common migrant
Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2018)
Location: Central Catchment Forest, former Bidadari Cemetery, Chinese/Japanese Gardens, Jurong Eco Garden, Satay by the Bay, Lorong Halus, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Pasir Ris Park, Tuas South, Pulau Ubin and West Coast Park.
- Bird Calls of Singapore (Birders' Stories)
Featured reports: Aug 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 (Indian Cuckoo)
References:
BirdLife International. (2018). Cuculus micropterus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22683870A130085980.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023
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.). Indian Cuckoo. Retrieved on March 12, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/indian-cuckoo.