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Pied crested cuckoo
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| Photo Information |
Copyright: Kedar Kulkarni (kedarkulkarni)
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 148 W: 0 N: 187]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif) (801) |
| Genre: Animals |
| Medium: Color |
| Date Taken: 2009-06 |
| Categories: Birds |
| Photo Version: Original Version |
| Date Submitted: 2009-08-18 1:40 |
| Viewed: 411 |
| Points: 22 |
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
Hi Friends,
I found this bird on my morning walk in June this year. I thought that he would be some kind of Bulbul. But I had never seen the Bulbul of this size. So I searched on net and confirmed with few of my friends. It is much bigger than Bulbul and the correct name for it is Pied Cuckoo / Pied Crested Cuckoo. The bird is very famous in India with the name of "Chatak". This bird migrates from Africa to India at the beginning of Monsoon. In mythological stories say that the bird only drinks the rain water. After seeing it people / farmers used to get the assurance that the Monsoon is on its way.
This was a rear find for me. So though the clarity is not perfect, I am posting this on TN. I thought that I will get another chance to catch him in this year but I don't think that these birds are around anymore and I have to wait for it till next monsoon.
Thanks for stopping by!
Here are few details from Wikipedia
The Pied Cuckoo, Pied Crested Cuckoo, or Jacobin Cuckoo, Clamator jacobinus, is a member of the cuckoo order of birds that is found in Africa and Asia. It is partially migratory and in India, it has been considered a harbinger of the Monsoon rains due to the timing of its arrival.[2] It has been associated with a bird in Indian mythology and poetry, known as the Chatak and represented as a bird with a beak on its head that waits for rains to quench its thirst.
Description
This medium sized, slim black and white cuckoo with a crest is distinctive. The white wing patch on the black wing and the pattern make it unmistakeable even in flight. They are very vocal during the breeding season. The call is a ringing series of whistling notes "skleer-skleer-eer, skleeur,skleeur" with the calls of the nominate form more rapid and slightly mellower.[3][4]
In India the subspecies serratus (Sparrman, 1786) is a summer breeding visitor to northern India and migrates to southern Africa. This is larger and longer winged than the nominate subspecies found in the southern peninsular region and Sri Lanka is said to be a local migrant.[5]
In Africa, subspecies serratus and pica (Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1833) show two phases, a pied phase with white or whitish below and a black phase where the only white is on the wing patch. Mating appears to be assortative, with pied phase males pairing with pied phase females. An all-rufous color phase has been noted in Central Africa.[4] Subspecies pica has been said to be the form that migrates between Africa and India[4] however Rasmussen & Anderton (2005) suggest serratus as being the form that is likely to constitute the Afro-Indian migrants.[3]
Distribution and habitat
The species is distributed south of the Sahara in Africa and south of the Himalayas in India. Also found in Sri Lanka and parts of Myanmar. Within Africa, there are movements of the species although they are resident in tropical Africa. The east African population is migratory and moves over southern Arabia into India during April.[4] The habitat of the species is mainly in thorny, dry scrub or open woodland[3] avoiding areas of dense forest or extremely dry environments.[4]
Behaviour and ecology
In the breeding season, birds call from prominent perches and chase each other. Courtship feeding has been observed in Africa.[4] The species is a brood parasite and in India the host is mainly species of babblers in the genus Turdoides. The colour of the eggs matches those of the host, typically turquoise blue. The eggs are slightly larger than those of the Common Babbler T. caudatus or the Jungle Babbler T. striata. Other hosts include the Red-vented Bulbul, and the eggs laid are then mostly white.[6] Eggs are laid hurriedly in the morning into the nest of the host often dropped from while the bird perches on the rim of the nest and over the host eggs often resulting in the cracking of one or more host eggs.[5] In Africa, the males distract the host while the female lays the egg.[4] Multiple eggs may be laid in the nest of a host and two young cuckoos were found to fledge successfully in several occasions.[5] In Africa, the hosts include Pycnonotus barbatus, P. capensis,[7] Turdoides fulvus, Turdoides rubiginosus,[8] Lanius collaris, Andropadus importunus, Terpsiphone viridis, Dicrurus adsimilis[9] and a few other species.[4]
The skin of young birds darkens form pink to purplish brown within two days of hatching. The mouth linking is red with yellow gape flanges. Unlike some cuckoos, nestlings do not evict the eggs of the host from the nest although they claim most of the parental attention and food resulting sometimes, in the starvation of host nestlings.[4]
These cuckoos feed on insects including hairy caterpillars that are picked up from near or on the ground. Caterpillars are pressed from end to end to remove the guts before they are swallowed. They sometimes feed on fruits.[5]
In culture
This species is widely mentioned in ancient Indian poetry as the chātak.[10][11] According to Indian mythology it has a beak atop its head and it thirsts for the rains.[12] The poet Kalidasa used it in his "Meghadoota" as a metaphor for deep yearning and this tradition continues in literary works in Hindi.[13] Satya Churn Law, however noted that in Bengal, the bird associated with the "chatak" of Sanskrit was the Common Iora unlike the Pied Cuckoo suggested by European orientalists. He further noted that a captive Iora that he kept drank water only from dew and spray picked up from plant leaves suggesting that it may have been the basis for the idea that the "chatak" only drank raindrops.[14] |
goldyrs, cirano, boreocypriensis, siggi, parasbhalla, Argus, shree, CeltickRanger, Noisette, jusninasirun has marked this note useful
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An amazing shot, Kedar.Love the catchlight in the eye!
Goldy
- cirano
(4942)
- [2009-08-18 2:15]
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Slav Kedar,
Very good capture with excellent sharpness.Nice pose and contact eyes.Thanks for sharing.
Regards,
Dūrzan
Namaste Kedar MF!
A wonderful capture of this cute Pied crested cuckoo from nice POV with lovely pose, excellent exposure and details.
TFS and have a nice day!
Bayram
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- siggi
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1373 W: 56 N: 4723]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(16252) - [2009-08-18 2:58]
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splendid shot Kedar,
the composition is nice to look at, with a good details and nice colours. it has a good pov, very good job.
Best regards Siggi
Namastay Kedar,
Wonderful closeup of Pied Cuckoo! It looks so amazing and the details are well shown. The branches in the FG bring touch of the natural environment into the picture. The eyes of the bird are well shown. Great work!
thanks and regards,
Paras Bhalla
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- Argus
(34987)
- [2009-08-18 3:32]
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Hello Kedar,
A fine capture of a Pied Cuckoo taken from a good POV to be well seen among the branches with fair sharpness and good lighting.
Congratulations, as I think this is a first for this species on TN!
Thanks and best regards,
Ivan
hello Kedar
excellent photo of the Pied Crested Cuckoo,
fine POV, DOF and framing, fine focus with
excellent sharpness and details, i love all
that branches in front the bird, TFS
Asbed
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- foozi
(9083)
- [2009-08-18 22:03]
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Hi Kedar,
very exciting species here you got. The composition is lovely and the sharpness on the yes is very plesantly done.
Well presented in a beautiful composition.
regards,
Foozi
Hello Kedar
this is a very beautiful bird, i like the colors of his plumage but also the luminosity, the very good POV, thanks for sharing and have a good night
Jacqueline
Kedar,
I lived in Goa, India as a child and I used to see this species; always "assumed" it to be a tiny BULBUL.
Am sooooo happy you have shared this image; THANKS FOR THE EDUCATION.
Lovely piece of photography work.
Friendly greetings from Mario in far off Canada.
Hi Kedar.
Very good shot at this juve in a beautiful perch on that diagonal branch. Fine lighting with shallow focus making the image pops.
Thanks for sharing and best regards.
Jusni
![Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 46 W: 13 N: 67]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/s-s-g.gif)
(262)
Hey Kedar, I also clicked a picture of this Pied-Cuckoo some days back, am uploading it today.
Regards,
Richa