A fairly small cuckoo measuring about 21-23 centimetres in length, Cacomantis merulinus is a species of bird belonging to family Cuculidae. This species is commonly known as the plaintive cuckoo. It inhabits forest edges, open woodlands, scrubs, grasslands, farmlands, parks and gardens. The plaintiff cuckoo mostly feeds on insects such as beetles, bugs, termites and numerous soft-bodies species. It may take some fruits too.
The male has grey–brown upper plumage, orange below plumage, pale grey head, throat and upper breast, dark greyish brown mantle and wings, white-tipped tail feathers, orange-yellowish legs and feet, red eyes and yellowish bill below and black above. While the female mostly resembles the male; but often occurs in a "hepatic" morph with a reddish-brown upper plumage with dark bars. Its plumages below are paler with fainter barring. It also has a light stripe over its eyes and the tail is barred along the entire length. The juvenile looks like the hepatic female but is duller and has dark streaks instead of bars on the crown and throat.
As numerous cuckoos, the plaintive cuckoo is a brood parasite. It favours laying its eggs in the closed nests with a narrow entrance, built by small passerines such as ioras, prinias, cisticolas and tailorbirds. The eggs are similar to those of the host species but are larger.
No | Description | Suitability | Seasonality |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Artificial - Terrestrial → Arable Land
|
Suitable | Breeding |
2 |
Artificial - Terrestrial → Arable Land
|
Suitable | Non-breeding |
3 |
Artificial - Terrestrial → Pastureland
|
Suitable | Non-breeding |
4 |
Artificial - Terrestrial → Pastureland
|
Suitable | Breeding |
5 |
Artificial - Terrestrial → Rural Gardens
|
Suitable | Non-breeding |
6 |
Artificial - Terrestrial → Rural Gardens
|
Suitable | Breeding |
7 |
Artificial - Terrestrial → Subtropical/Tropical Heavily Degraded Former Forest
|
Suitable | Non-breeding |
8 |
Artificial - Terrestrial → Subtropical/Tropical Heavily Degraded Former Forest
|
Suitable | Breeding |
9 |
Forest → Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland Forest
|
Suitable | Non-breeding |
10 |
Forest → Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland Forest
|
Suitable | Breeding |
11 |
Grassland → Subtropical/Tropical Dry Lowland Grassland
|
Suitable | Non-breeding |
12 |
Grassland → Subtropical/Tropical Dry Lowland Grassland
|
Suitable | Breeding |
13 |
Shrubland → Subtropical/Tropical Dry Shrubland
|
Suitable | Non-breeding |
14 |
Shrubland → Subtropical/Tropical Dry Shrubland
|
Suitable | Breeding |
15 |
Shrubland → Subtropical/Tropical Moist Shrubland
|
Suitable | Non-breeding |
16 |
Shrubland → Subtropical/Tropical Moist Shrubland
|
Suitable | Breeding |
Year Published | Assessment | Red List Category | Version |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
Least Concern (LC)
|
3.1 |
2012 | IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
Least Concern (LC)
|
N/A |
2009 | IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
Least Concern (LC)
|
N/A |
2008 | IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
Least Concern (LC)
|
N/A |
2004 | IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
Least Concern (LC)
|
N/A |
2000 | IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
Least Concern (LC)
|
N/A |
1994 | IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
Least Concern (LC)
|
N/A |
1988 | IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
Least Concern (LC)
|
N/A |
Profile | |
---|---|
Abdul Rahman (Mr.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Birds,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Forest, Protected Areas & Wildlife Trade
|
Ahmad Khusaini Bin Mohd Kharip Shah (Mr.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Birds (Ecology),
Conservation
|
Birds,
|
|
Andrew Alek Tuen (Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)
|
Mammals, Birds,
Protected Areas
|
Azmi Mat Ali (Mr.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Birds (Taxonomy),
Biodiversity, Conservation & Wildlife Trade
|
Farah Shafawati Mohd Taib (Dr.)
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
|
Birds, Mammals, Rodents, Treeshrews, Squirrels,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Data Analysis, Ecosystems & Taxonomy
|
Hasdi Hassan @ Asang (Mr.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Birds,
Conservation & Management
|
Ismail Bin Hj. Mamat (Mr.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Birds,
Biodiversity, Protected Areas & Invasive Alien Species
|
Meor Amran Bin Meor Zulkifilee (Mr.)
Birdgroup Taman Negara (BGTN)
|
Birds,
Business, Environment, Forest, Management & Tourism
|
Mohammad Shahfiz Azman (Mr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Amphibians, Mammals, Birds, Amphibians, Reptiles,
Awareness, Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Forest, Landscape, Law and Policy, Management, Protected Areas, Science, Systematics, Invasive Alien Species, Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries (LMMC), National Policy on Biological Diversity, Policy, Research and Development (R&D) & Zoonotic
|
Mohd Abdul Muin Bin Md Akil (Mr.)
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
|
Amphibians, Birds, Reptiles, Snakes,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Evolution, Genetics, Molecular, Protected Areas, Climate Change & Invasive Alien Species
|
Mustafa Abdul Rahman (Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)
|
Birds,
|
Rahmah Binti Ilias (Mrs.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Birds,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Protected Areas & Invasive Alien Species
|
Rosli Hashim (Prof. Dr.)
University of Malaya (UM)
|
Birds (Ecology), Mammals (Ecology), Spiders, Insects,
Biodiversity & Protected Areas
|
Rosli Ramli (Assoc. Prof. Dr.)
University of Malaya (UM)
|
Mammals (Ecology), Birds,
Biodiversity, Digital Sequence Information (DSI), Protected Areas & Marine & Coastal
|
Syaizwan Zahmir Zulkifli (Dr.)
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
|
Birds (Ecology), Fishes (Ecology), Molluscs (Ecology),
Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecosystems, Marine & Coastal & Water
|
Yeap Chin Aik (Mr.)
Malaysian Nature Society (MNS)
|
Birds (Ecology),
Awareness, Biodiversity, Biological Resource, Conservation, Ecosystems, Education, Forest, Landscape, Management, Protected Areas & Traditional Knowledge (TK)
|
Acknowledgements :- Mr. Abdul Razak Mohd Nor Rasid, Ms. Aida Salihah Binti Abu Bakar, Ms. Ajla Rafidah Baharom, Mr. Allen Jeyarajasingam, Mrs. Aziemah Binti Kinan, Mr. Badrul Amin Bin Jaffar, Ms. Fatin Farisha Binti Mohd Jamil, Ms. Fatin Qurratul 'ain Binti Saberam, Ms. Intan Nazira Binti Abdul Sani, Ms. Norayuni Binti Ramlee, Mrs. Nur Hazwanie Binti Abd Halim, Ms. Nurfadzilah Bt Azmi, Ms. Nurfarhana Hizan Binti Hijas, Ms. Nurliyana Binti Abd Rahman, Ms. Nursyafiqa Madzlen, Ms. Nurul Atikah Abu Bakar, Mr. Simon Kuyun, Ms. Siti Zubaidah Binti Abdul Latif, Mr. Tan Kok Kiat & Mr. Yasser Mohamed Arifin
Photo credit :- Koay Zhong Ying, Long Roslee Ngah, Mohd Suhaimi Bin Mohd Yusof & uzair ar
Species Citation :- Cacomantis merulinus. Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS). Accessed via https://www.mybis.gov.my/sp/20964. [Retrieved 07 December 2023].
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