Chestnut-breasted Malkoha

The Chestnut-breasted Malkoha is a large Cuckoo that lives in the countries of Indonesia, Malaysia  Myanmar, Thailand, Brunei, and the Philippines. Currently there are six recognized subspecies.

Phaenicophaeus curvirostris

They are very striking looking birds, and are relatively large for a Cuckoo. Males and females have near identical plumage, which is a dark greenish-blue across the head and back, with a chestnut colored underside. They also have red skin patches around their eyes, adding additional color contrast.

Chestnut-breasted Malkohas typically live in pairs, and have a rather unique breeding habit among Cuckoos. While many of their family members will force others birds to raise their young, these Malkohas actually do the incubating, feeding, and raising themselves!

Another interesting fact about Malkohas in general is that these birds don't fly all that much. They typically move about the trees by hopping from branch to branch.

Chestnut-breasted Malkohas have a large range and a stable population.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : Southeast Asia

Size : Length up to 19in (49cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Cuculiformes
Family : Cuculidae -- Genus : Phaenicophaeus -- Species : P. curvirostris