Violet Cuckoo    Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus

Etymology

• Chrysococcyx : Greek word khrusos – gold; kokkux-cuckoo  { Gold Cuckoo}

• Xanthorhynchus: Greek Word xanthos yellow; rhunkhos bill { Yellow-billed}

Vernacular name:   Cachar: Dao piu pip

Distribution in India: Summer Visitor to East Himalayas & North east India. Winter visitor to Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Description:  Size of 16 cm; 21 g. The adult male is glossy violet above and on head, tail is blackish with white tip, outer feathers are barred. The chin to upper breast is bright violet, belly is white with broad black, violet or green bars. The eye-ring is red, iris is red to brown, bill is yellow with orange-red base. The female is greenish bronze above, crown is dark brown with white markings around eye (and sometimes on forehead), central tail is greenish, remainder rufous with greenish bars, outer rectrices are barred black and white. The breast is whitish with bronze-green bars and variably washed rufous. The iris is brown, bill is brown, feet are olive-green. The juvenile is barred rufous and greenish bronze above, crown is bright rufous, wing is rufous and green or rufous and brown, tail is barred brown and rufous, brown-barred white below, iris and bill dark brown.

Habitat: It is found in secondary evergreen forests, deciduous forest, forest edge, orchards, gardens, mangroves, rubber plantations. It is found in lowlands and lower hill slopes to 1500 m.

Food Habits: It eats Insects, caterpillars, flies, ants, beetles and fruit. It usually perches motionless and sometimes creeps up and down branches, it also flycatches.

Breeding Habits: They are brood-parasitic. Their hosts in India are mainly sunbirds and spiderhunters.