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Photo: Francesco Veronesi / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo

Surniculus velutinus

Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo (Surniculus velutinus) — Cuckoos & Turacos of South & Southeast Asia.

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The Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo (Surniculus velutinus) is a member of the Cuculidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 35.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Cuculiformes
  3. Family Cuculidae Cuckoos
  4. Genus Surniculus
  5. Species velutinus

Where it lives

Philippines (except Palawan group)

Quick facts

Weight
35.6 g
Family
Cuculidae
Order
Cuculiformes
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Behaviour

A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

The Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo (Surniculus velutinus) is a member of the Cuculidae family, within the order Cuculiformes. It is found across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Philippines (except Palawan group).

It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 35.6 g, with a wing length of about 11.1 cm and a tail of around 10.1 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 248,000 km².

Songs & calls

Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo — Song

Recorded by Hans Matheve Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo?

The Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo is a small bird that weighs around 35.6 g.

Where does the Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo live?

The Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Philippines (except Palawan group), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo belong to?

The Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo (Surniculus velutinus) belongs to the Cuculidae family, in the order Cuculiformes.

What does the Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo eat?

The Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo migrate?

The Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo make?

1 real field recording of the Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo's range?

The Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo has a mapped global range of about 248,000 km².

Conservation

Least Concern

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

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