Unlike the high octane encounter with the Peregrine Falcon, the encounter with the plaintive cuckoo was a much more gentle affair. What it lacked in terms of strength it more than made up in terms of beauty and colours.
The species derives its name from its mournful sounding calls.The adult male is grey-brown above and orange below with a grey head, throat and upper breast. There are white tips to the tail feathers. The legs and feet are yellow, the eye is red and the bill is black above and yellow below. The adult female is sometimes similar to the male but often occurs in a “hepatic” morph. This form is reddish-brown above with dark bars. Like all cuckoos it is also a brood parasite and feeds on invertebrates.
This bird is another proof of the magic of Manglajodi.
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