#malkoha

photograph by Chin Fernandez

the chestnut-breasted malkoha is a large cuckoo species found in southeast asia. males and females are similarly colored; both sexes have grey and dark green upperparts, their namesake chestnut chest, and a red facial mask. most cuckoos are nest parasites, who leave eggs in other birds’ nests to be reared without their involvement; however, the chestnut-breasted malkoha builds their own nest & raises their own offspring. they prefer subtropical & tropical forest habitat, and feed on small vertebrates such as baby birds and lizards as well as insects like grasshoppers and cicadas.

Green-billed malkoha, Rongtong, October, 2025

Internet Archive

December 20, 2023 - Blue-faced Malkoha or Small Green-billed Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus viridirostris) These cuckoos are found in woodlands, scrub, and bush of southern India and Sri Lanka. They feed on insects, such as caterpillars, cicadas, and beetles, as well small lizards and fruit, foraging alone or in pairs. Breeding throughout much of the year, they build bulky saucer-shaped nests from twigs and line them with leaves. Females lay clutches of two or three eggs.

Rough-crested Malkoha

Green-Billed Malkoha | Phaenicophaeus tristis