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Cacomantis merulinus
Basic stats
Diet
Insects, especially caterpillars
Habitat
Open country, forest edge, gardens
Range
South and Southeast Asia
Clutch size
1 egg (brood parasite)
Incubation period
About 13–14 days
Size
Small-medium (21–23cm)
Wingspan
~35–38cm
Weight
~40–50g
A slim, grey-headed cuckoo with rufous underparts (males) or a rufous-barred morph, common in open country, forest edge and gardens across the lowlands.
A brood parasite of tailorbirds and prinias, its plaintive, descending whistled call, often rendered as a mournful series of notes, is a familiar sound of lowland scrub and cultivation.
