On this Happy Independence Day 🫡, I find myself reflecting an experience on sighting of two cuckoos , Jacobin Cuckoo and Chestnut-winged cuckoo. These cuckoos are member of clamator genus which I find most cool looking cuckoos in the wild, but India has only two of them. Below I put some details about them:

  • Jacobin Cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus) — famous in Indian folklore as the harbinger of the monsoon, this black-and-white beauty carries a touch of drama in its plumage and a deep place in our culture. Early monsoon migrant to out eastern side of India and as well as resident in South India.
  • Chestnut-winged Cuckoo (Clamator coromandel) — an equally stunning bird, adorned with rich chestnut wings and a crest that gives it an unmistakable elegance. This bird resident in north of our country and migrates to South India during the monsoon.

What makes this story special for me is not just their beauty — but the fact that I spotted both species right from my own backyard. Watching them up close, listening to their calls, and observing their behavior was nothing short of magical.

Let me start with the Jacobin cuckoo since it is relatively easy bird to get during the monsoon. I first saw it in a different wetland not in my backyard of September 2022, that time I just get started. But in my nearby area I found it later that was around August 2023, I was photographing munias, there was a tree with a lots of caterpiller, suddenly the Jacobin Cuckoo came to that place and start eating the caterpiller, it gave me ample time to photograph it. It was a really great experience. Here a photo of that cuckoo, it’s looking so cool with black and white colour a long crest a handsome bird for sure.

jacobin cuckoo

Next was the chestnut winged cuckoo which I saw in my backyard suddenly on Sep 23. It was a great experience basically it sat outside of my window. I immediately grabbed my camera and went to the backyard though it was a shy bird. It didn’t give me a long time to photograph. Somehow I managed a good enough shot of it though I am very happy to see it.

Another image from that series

chestnut-winged cuckoo