The little bronze cuckoo (Chalcites minutillus) is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It was formerly placed in the genus Chrysococcyx. It is found in Southeast Asia, New Guinea and northern and eastern Australia, where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest. It is the world's smallest cuckoo, at 17 grams (0.60 oz) and 15 cm (6 in). The subspecies rufomerus is sometimes given specific status. The pied bronze cuckoo was formerly considered to be a subspecies.
| Little bronze cuckoo | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Cuculiformes |
| Family: | Cuculidae |
| Genus: | Chalcites |
| Species: | C. minutillus
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| Binomial name | |
| Chalcites minutillus (Gould, 1859)
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The little bronze cuckoo is characterized by its bronze-green upperparts, white underparts with dark barring, and a distinctive white spot behind the eye.[2] It has a slender body and a long tail, allowing it to maneuver swiftly through dense vegetation.
In terms of habitat, the little bronze cuckoo prefers open woodlands, forest edges, and scrubby areas with dense vegetation.[3] It is known to migrate seasonally, moving between breeding and non-breeding grounds in response to environmental changes and food.
Subspecies
editEleven subspecies are recognised by the International Ornithologists' Union:[4]
- C. m. peninsularis (Parker, SA, 1981) – southern Thailand and the Malay Peninsula
- C. m. albifrons Junge, 1938 – Sumatra and western Java
- C. m. aheneus Junge, 1938 – Borneo and the southern Philippines
- C. m. jungei Stresemann, 1938 – Sulawesi, Flores and Madu Island
- C. m. rufomerus (Hartert, 1900) (green-cheeked bronze cuckoo) – Lesser Sunda Islands
- C. m. salvadorii Hartert & Stresemann, 1925 – Babar Islands
- C. m. misoriensis (Salvadori, 1876) – Biak (Schouten Islands)
- C. m. poecilurus (G.R.Gray, 1862) – coastal New Guinea and northern Queensland
- C. m. minutillus (Gould, 1859) – northern Australia
- C. m. barnardi (Mathews, 1912) – eastern Australia
- C. m. russatus (Gould, 1868) – (Gould's bronze cuckoo) - formerly considered by some authorities as a separate species. Found in north-eastern Australia, New Guinea
The pied bronze cuckoo (Chalcites crassirostris) was formerly considered as a subspecies.[4]
References
edit- ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Chalcites minutillus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T61433519A95233230. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T61433519A95233230.en.
- ^ Dutson, G. C. L. (2011). Birds of Melanesia: Bismarcks, Solomons, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia. Bloomsbury Publishing.
- ^ Dutson, G. C. L. (2011). Birds of Melanesia: Bismarcks, Solomons, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia. Bloomsbury Publishing.
- ^ a b Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2024). "Turacos, bustards, cuckoos, mesites, sandgrouse". IOC World Bird List Version 14.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
External links
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