White-eared Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx meyerii Scientific name definitions

15 cm; male 15–19·5 g, female 19–27·4 g (1 Erritzøe, J., C. F. Mann, F. P. Brammer, and R. A. Fuller (2012). Cuckoos of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Adult glossy green above, crown green, ear-coverts white forming crescentic mark (1 Erritzøe, J., C. F. Mann, F. P. Brammer, and R. A. Fuller (2012). Cuckoos of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), female with rufous-chestnut forecrown; white below with prominent glossy green barring, undertail black with white bars on inner webs of outer feathers; large rufous patch on flight-feathers; eyering orange or red (1 Erritzøe, J., C. F. Mann, F. P. Brammer, and R. A. Fuller (2012). Cuckoos of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) in male to grey in female, iris pale brown to grey-brown, darker on inner rim, bill black, feet blue-grey to dark brown (1 Erritzøe, J., C. F. Mann, F. P. Brammer, and R. A. Fuller (2012). Cuckoos of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Adult unmistakable due to presence of white facial crescents (1 Erritzøe, J., C. F. Mann, F. P. Brammer, and R. A. Fuller (2012). Cuckoos of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Juvenile olive grey-brown above, head green-grey, tail rufous-grey with dark grey near tip, grey below, iris brown, feet light brown, and bill has paler base to mandible (1 Erritzøe, J., C. F. Mann, F. P. Brammer, and R. A. Fuller (2012). Cuckoos of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Identification from other bronze-cuckoos more diffficult at this age, but juvenile C. lucidus has brilliant green crown, while juvenile C. minutillus is dull grey-brown above, juvenile C. basalis is same colour on upperparts, sometimes with buffish fringes, and juvenile C. ruficollis is greenish above and grey below with indistinct flanks barring (1 Erritzøe, J., C. F. Mann, F. P. Brammer, and R. A. Fuller (2012). Cuckoos of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Inhabits primary and secondary (1 Erritzøe, J., C. F. Mann, F. P. Brammer, and R. A. Fuller (2012). Cuckoos of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) forests, including forest edge, also garden shade trees, mainly in lower montane habitats at 500–2000 m (1 Erritzøe, J., C. F. Mann, F. P. Brammer, and R. A. Fuller (2012). Cuckoos of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); typically found at lower altitudes than C. ruficollis (1 Erritzøe, J., C. F. Mann, F. P. Brammer, and R. A. Fuller (2012). Cuckoos of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Unknown.

Insects and caterpillars in leaves, and sometimes found at hairy caterpillar infestations with C. ruficollis (1 Erritzøe, J., C. F. Mann, F. P. Brammer, and R. A. Fuller (2012). Cuckoos of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); usually observed in midstorey, 5–13 m above ground (1 Erritzøe, J., C. F. Mann, F. P. Brammer, and R. A. Fuller (2012). Cuckoos of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). A regular member of mixed-species foraging flocks.

Song 5–8 high-pitched, clear, plaintive (1 Erritzøe, J., C. F. Mann, F. P. Brammer, and R. A. Fuller (2012). Cuckoos of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) notes, “peer peer peer...”, dropping slightly in pitch, final note preceded by a pause, and is considered similar to that of Cacomantis variolosus, but quieter and slower, while compared to C. ruficollis it is lower pitched (1 Erritzøe, J., C. F. Mann, F. P. Brammer, and R. A. Fuller (2012). Cuckoos of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); also a complex song of four pairs of downslurred notes, the pairs rising and falling, which is somewhat like both an Accipiter and another cuckoo (1 Erritzøe, J., C. F. Mann, F. P. Brammer, and R. A. Fuller (2012). Cuckoos of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); a soft but loud “hyije”, which is easily imitated (1 Erritzøe, J., C. F. Mann, F. P. Brammer, and R. A. Fuller (2012). Cuckoos of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Virtually no information available. Presumably brood-parasitic. Females in breeding condition collected in Jan, Mar and Oct (1 Erritzøe, J., C. F. Mann, F. P. Brammer, and R. A. Fuller (2012). Cuckoos of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Not globally threatened. Considered to be generally uncommon, except perhaps locally, but is reasonably widespread and is easily overlooked due to its sluggish behaviour (1 Erritzøe, J., C. F. Mann, F. P. Brammer, and R. A. Fuller (2012). Cuckoos of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Virtually nothing known about biology, ecology and population numbers; research required.