Similar to the European Cuckoo, the Oriental Cuckoo (Cuculus saturatus) migrates from its breeding grounds each autumn to non-breeding winters in southeastern Asia, Indonesia, New Guinea, and Australia. A few straggling individuals may make it as far as New Zealand. Many arrive along the northern Australian coast in November and December. The cuckoo trickle down the eastern seaboard, and leave again in April; some, probably younger non-breeders, may stay throughout the year. In the months leading up to departure. However, Oriental Cuckoos may appear in loose flocks along northern Australian coasts, but they tend to be rather solitary throughout their stay, gathering only in small groups at food swarms.
Among its many names are Himalayan Cuckoo, Blyth’s Cuckoo, Saturated Cuckoo, and Hawk-Cuckoo. Oriental Cuckoos measure between 280 and 340 millimeters in length. Insects that feed on Oriental Cuckoos are caterpillars, stick insects, ants, and beetles. Using a sallying technique, they pick them up from tree foliage and bushes. A cuckoo swoops on to prey, catches it with its bill, then flies back to a perch to batter and eat it. It perches on an open branch from which to look around. Whenever approached, they slink off and weave swiftly through the trees, always remaining quiet, shy, and elusive.
Whether fast or slow, flight is graceful and slightly undulating on pointed wings; in form and movement, it can resemble an Australian hobby. The Oriental Cuckoo is likely to compete with the Pallid Cuckoo, since it eats and forages similarly. However, actual competition between them rarely takes place because of two reasons. Due to the arrival of Oriental Cuckoos in northern Australia during summer when most Pallid Cuckoos have moved south to breed; and because Oriental Cuckoos prefer dense forest rather than open woodlands frequented by Pallid Cuckoos.
They inhabit monsoon forests, sclerophyll forests, paperbark swamps, scrubby gullies, and even mangroves, staying mostly in higher branches. A variety of plumages of Oriental Cuckoos arrive in Australia, from full adult gray plumage to varying degrees of juvenile plumage to mottled brown young of the year. Accordingly, the species has been thought to have two phases in Australia-gray and brown.
As far as identification concerned, the male is slightly larger than the female; both sexes are similar. The upper parts are dove-grey with a light bronze gloss; the head is lighter. Dark grey to black tail, spotted and tipped with white. The flight feathers are dove-grey with pale bars. Chin, throat, and upper breast pale dove-grey; rest of underparts white, sometimes washed cinnamon, heavily barred with brown-black. There are white underwing coverts and grey-brown bars on the underwing. Brown eye with a cream or yellow ring around it; yellow skin around the eye. The upper part of the bill is brown-black, while the lower part of the mandible is olive-brown.
The feet are cream-yellow in color. In immature birds, the upper parts are rufous-brown with black bars. There are rufous bars on the flight feathers above and lighter feathers below. Black tail with white tip and rufous bars; grey-brown tail with white tip and cinnamon-to-white bars. The underparts are white with a rufous wash, strongly barred in chocolate-brown from the throat to the crissum and mottled grey-brown towards the chin. The eyes are paler than those of an adult; the skin around the eyes is green-cream in color. At the base of the lower mandible, the bill becomes green-tinged. The feet are yellow.
The call of Oriental Cuckoo in Australia, two to six rather rapid whistled notes similar to those of Australian Kestrel-a piercing pi-pi-pi-pi identical in tone, volume and spacing, but at an even pitch and not rising in scale. Other sounds include gaak-gaak-gak-ak-ak, and kuk-kuk-kuk, often when feeding. Commonly silent. Nesting and breeding occurs in the northern spring and summer in Eurasia Parasitic. Egg: one; white or pale brown with very small black or purple spots; long-oval, about 21 x 14 mm. Laying in another species’ nest.
Non-breeding migrant from Asia (northeastern Europe, China, Burma and Taiwan) who winters in northern Australia between Kimberley Region, WA, and Brisbane and occasionally down to Narooma, NSW. It inhabits monsoon forests, wet sclerophyll forests, paperbark swamps, dense open forests, scrubby gullies, and mangroves. Winters in New Guinea, the Philippines, Celebes, Moluccas, Solomon Islands, and southern India as well. There are usually two races recognized, differing in size, but it is possible that only one race exists; Australian migrants are often intermediate.
