About the Common Hawk-Cuckoo
The common hawk-cuckoo, popularly known as the brainfever bird, is a medium-sized cuckoo resident in the Indian subcontinent. It bears a close resemblance to the shikra, even in its style of flying and landing on a perch. The resemblance to hawks gives this group the generic name of hawk-cuckoo; like many other cuckoos, these are brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of babblers. During their breeding season in summer males produce loud, repetitive three-note calls that are well-rendered as brain-fever, the second note being longer and higher pitched. These notes rise to a crescendo before ending abruptly and repeat after a few minutes; the calling may go on through the day, well after dusk and before dawn.
Source: Wikipedia
Taxonomy & Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Cuculiformes |
| Family | Cuckoos (Cuculidae) |
| Species | Hierococcyx varius |
| Species Codes | cohcuc1, CHCU, COHC |
Frequently Asked Questions
What family does the Common Hawk-Cuckoo belong to?
The Common Hawk-Cuckoo (Hierococcyx varius) belongs to the Cuckoos family (Cuculidae), in the order Cuculiformes.
How can I identify the Common Hawk-Cuckoo?
The common hawk-cuckoo, popularly known as the brainfever bird, is a medium-sized cuckoo resident in the Indian subcontinent. It bears a close resemblance to the shikra, even in its style of flying and landing on a perch. The resemblance to hawks gives this group the generic name of hawk-cuckoo; lik...
Where can I report a Common Hawk-Cuckoo sighting?
You can log sightings of Common Hawk-Cuckoo on eBird (ebird.org) using species code cohcuc1, or on iNaturalist.