About Clamator coromandus (Linnaeus, 1766)
This is a description of Clamator coromandus, a dark crested cuckoo. It has chestnut wings, a glossy black crest, and a graduated tail where feathers shorten stepwise from the center outwards. Unlike the prominent white tail tips of the sympatric Jacobin cuckoo, this species has inconspicuous white edges on the ends of its tail feathers. A white collar extending to the sides of the neck separates the black cap on its head from the black plumage of its back. Its lower body is rufous, turning dark grey towards the vent. Young birds are dusky, and their wing feathers have a scaly appearance. This species occurs from the western Himalayas to the eastern Himalayas, and extends into Southeast Asia. It has been officially recorded in India, Nepal, China, Indonesia, Laos, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines. Some of its populations may not be migratory. During southward migration through India, it travels along the Eastern Ghats. Exhausted migrating individuals are often found near residential areas. In mid-October, large numbers gather at Point Calimere, and many may continue on to Sri Lanka. Some individuals appear to overwinter in the Western Ghats.
