THEY LAY THEIR EGGS IN THE NESTS OF OTHER BIRDS, LEAVING THEM TO REAR THEIR YOUNG.
The most spectacular feature of this brightly colored bird is the male’s iridescent violet chin and upper breast.
MEET THE VIOLET CUCKOO
Photo Courtesy of Picuki/lietjiangjiaw
The Violet cuckoo is a small, slow-moving cuckoo more likely to be heard than seen despite its rather stunning glossy violet plumage.
Males are covered in this purple coat, except for the belly is covered in white and black bars. Mature males also have a red eye-ring.
Photo Courtesy of Rejaul karim.rk / CC BY-SA 4.0
The females tend to have more of a mottled appearance with green bronze upperparts and dark brown crown, looking more like the Asian Emerald cuckoo. They have a white breast with bronze-green bars rufous tones. The juvenile looks similar, though with stronger rufous tones to their wings along with an orange crown.
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They are found throughout north-eastern India to Southeast Asia to the Philippines. Populations of these birds in southern populations are resident, while populations in the north tend to be migratory in areas such as Assam and Bangladesh.
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The Violet cuckoo prefers to live in tropical or subtropical lowland forests, and or tropical and subtropical mangroves, However, it can also be seen in orchards, gardens, and sometimes in rubber plantations.
Photo Courtesy of Kesavamurthy N / CC BY-SA 3.0
A mainly insectivorous bird, even shaky hairy caterpillars so they can eat the stomach contents. They will also eat fruit.
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As brood parasites, they lay their eggs in the nests of birds like sunbirds and spiderhunters, leaving them to raise their young.
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Not a common bird throughout its range, due to the size of the range they are considered not to be a threatened species.
Photo Courtesy of Picuki/@vincent_ckx
WATCH A VIDEO OF THE VIOLET CUCKOO RIGHT HERE BELOW:
Decked Out In A Suit Of Shimmering Neon Blues, Cobalt’s And Purples, This Jaw Droppingly Beautiful Bird Clings Onto Survival!
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Source: Onebigbirdcage