CUCKOO 5/14 - Malaysian Hawk Cuckoo

Malaysian Hawk Cuckoo

Keeping pace with Madi I got the Malaysia Hawk Cuckoo in the deep side of Kemensah Hill whilst waiting for bird wave. The bugger just flew out and perch on a branch of the large tree in the ravine. Against the glaring background I only manage poor shot. The distance from Madi catch and mine is about 3 klicks. Comparing the birds It is unlikely the same bird though cuckoo do move around. Mine looks like a juvenile.

This is a resident of Malaysia wherelse there is another subspecies Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo which winter over here from China - Nepal side. Similar in size and shape. The separation is the Malaysian has a cleaner black streak marking over whitish chest whilst the visitor have buffy rustic chest and the latter have darker grey overall. Both have a bit of puff throat and flatten tail. Calls is almost the same. During the same time of my sighting a Hodgson's was sighted in Singapore. Very rare to see the latter......

It is a medium size cuckoo reaching less that a foot with a flattened out tail.