Birds of Singapore
by the Bird Society of Singapore
Hierococcyx fugax
Family: Cuckoos · Status: Uncommon migrant and uncommon visitor · Size: 29 cm · Conservation: Least Concern
Largely resident from the Thai-Malay Peninsula to the Greater Sundas, ranging from southern Myanmar and Thailand through Sumatra, Java and Borneo. Its migratory and local movements are poorly understood.
One of the most poorly-known species on the Singapore checklist. Immatures are brown above, with grey head, yellow eyering, and white underparts with dark brown streaks. Adult plumage is widely described as a "modified immature plumage", including in regional field guides, but at least some adult birds show strikingly different plumage: slate-grey upperparts (no contrast between head and rest of upperparts) and bright orange-rufous streaks on underparts. Only reliable identification feature from Hodgson's Hawk-Cuckoo is the broad penultimate pale tail band which is approximately the same width as the third-from-last pale tail band. Compared to Large Hawk-Cuckoo, Malaysian is smaller, has a proportionally shorter tail, different tail pattern, and has only streaks on underparts with no bars (even juvenile Large almost always has bars on flanks).
Lowland and hill forest, forest edge, wooded areas and mangroves.
Brood parasitises White-rumped Shama.