Mai Po 21 May 2020 - Common Cuckoo

A twitch-before-work for the 'atypical' Common Cuckoo. Even though rain was super heavy in the morning, the cuckoo was already there when we arrived.

This bird was rather 'atypical' for me as the barrings are not as fine as the one I saw in mainland China, Also, the iris seemed to be rather dark. If there is no call, I may just identify as an Oriental Cuckoo....

Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S69395271

BigEar2020 is 191 after the Cuckoo Cukoo....

Common Cuckoo - the very dark upperparts was said to be feature of bakeri

Common Cuckoo - the size and lack of terminal black band of tail separated from Indian Cukoo, where there were two chasing this bird

Common Cuckoo

Common Cuckoo - angle and light were poor...

Common Cuckoo - feeding

Common Cuckoo

Common Cuckoo - call is the best feature to ID Cuculus 

Common Cuckoo

Common Cuckoo

Common Cuckoo - high up

Common Cuckoo - the underwing can also tell from Oriental Cuckoo as here:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Clive_Mann/publication/283213828_Common_and_Oriental_cuckoos_photo_guide/links/562e439d08ae04c2aeb5bf26/Common-and-Oriental-cuckoos-photo-guide.pdf?origin=publication_detail

Common Cuckoo

Common Cuckoo

Asian Azure-winged Magpie

Common Cuckoo + other species, try to find in the sonogram

https://www.xeno-canto.org/560060

Lunchtime!

Thanks Brenda for the super nice lunch! (need beer)🍺🍻🍺🍻