Plaintive Cuckoo
Cacomantis merulinus
Embed This Widget
Add the script tag and a data attribute to embed this widget.
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/birdfyi-embed@1/dist/embed.min.js" defer></script>
<div data-birdfyi="bird" data-slug="cacomantis-merulinus"></div>Embed via iframe for maximum compatibility.
<iframe src="https://birdfyi.com/iframe/bird/cacomantis-merulinus/" width="420" height="400" frameborder="0" style="border:0;border-radius:10px;max-width:100%" loading="lazy"></iframe>Paste this URL in WordPress, Medium, or any oEmbed-compatible platform.
https://birdfyi.com/bird/cacomantis-merulinus/Add a dynamic SVG badge to your README or docs.
[](https://birdfyi.com/bird/cacomantis-merulinus/)Use the native HTML custom element.
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/birdfyi-embed@1/dist/embed.min.js" defer></script>
<birdfyi-bird slug="cacomantis-merulinus"></birdfyi-bird>About
Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus) — 20–24 cm. Male: grey above; rufous-orange below; yellow orbital skin. Female: heavily barred morph often differs. Widespread in South and Southeast Asia from Bangladesh to the Philippines. Brood parasite targeting tailorbirds and other warblers. Insectivore. Named for its plaintive descending whistle.
Physical Description
| Measurement | Value | Imperial |
|---|---|---|
| Wingspan | 20.8 cm | 8.2 in |
| Weight | 25.75 g | 0.91 oz |
Identification
Plumage
Plaintive Cuckoo: gray-brown above; rufous-orange below; long dark tail; yellow eye-ring; sexually dimorphic rufous morph females
Habitat & Range
Conservation Status
Behavior & Breeding
Nesting
Nest type: NO.
Sound
Song
Loud, far-carrying resonant call; deep notes given from dense forest canopy in Africa. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Cuculiformes (Cuckoos) |
| Family | Cuculidae (Cuckoos) |
| Genus | Cacomantis |
| Species | Cacomantis merulinus |
Distribution
Plaintive Cuckoo has been recorded in 1 countries.
{# Distribution Map — simplified SVG world map with highlighted countries. Expects `country_codes` variable: list of ISO alpha-2 codes (e.g. ["US", "CA", "MX"]). Uses Alpine.js to toggle classes on country paths. #}countries highlighted
External Databases
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Plaintive Cuckoo endangered?
How does the Plaintive Cuckoo nest?
What does the Plaintive Cuckoo sound like?
How big is the Plaintive Cuckoo?
What order and family does the Plaintive Cuckoo belong to?
Similar Birds
Other species in the Cuculidae family