Oriental Cuckoo

Cuculus saturatus (Blyth, 1843)

2017-06-18 VKO Katon-Karagay	© Vladimir Vorobyov

Distribution

Breeds in taiga forests of Southwest Altai, in pine forests of Kalbinskiy Altai, probably in Saur and Tarbagatay ridges (Sushkin, 1925; Khakhlov, 1928). In summer observed in tape pine forest of Pavlodarskoye Trans-Irtysh'e (Kovshar, Khrokov, 1993). On migration occurs on plains only. Recorded on Mangyshlak (11 May 1965), lower current of Ural valley (25 May 1907), close to Tashkent (5 and 14 May 1908) and Turkestan (3 May 1909), on Syrdarya valley nearby of Chinaz (2 May 1907 and 29 May 1911), in Karatau foothills and Borolday (17 May 1959 and 14 May 2000), on Irgiz valley (10 May 1898), in Naurzum Reserve (18 May 1934) and close to Kustanay, on Selety-Teniz lake, on Irtysh valley near Semipalatinsk. One bird was obtained on western coast of Alakol lake at 13 May 1968. No records in Tien Shan and Dzhungarskiy Alatau.

Biology

Rare breeding migrant. Inhabits spruce, fir forests, marshy birch groves, subalpine larch forests at 1500-1900 m. On migration occurs in shrubs or forests on plains. In spring arrives in early May – early June, migration finishes mid-June. Main hosts are Yellow-browed and Greenish Warblers. Cuckoo eggs recorded in end of May – early July, fledglings in mid-July – mid-August. Adults leave breeding places before mid-July, juveniles in end of August. On plain recorded until early September.

Subspecies

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург, Изд-во Уральского университета, 2000.