Several species of cuckoos become active during this time, including the grey-bellied vuckoo, common hawk cuckoo, Indian cuckoo, fork-tailed drongo, and banded bay cuckoo.
Hyderabad: As the monsoon begins, the sounds of cuckoo birds return across Telangana. After being quiet for many months, their sweet songs can now be heard in parks, gardens, and forest areas.
Several species of cuckoos become active during this time, including the grey-bellied vuckoo, common hawk cuckoo, Indian cuckoo, fork-tailed drongo, and banded bay cuckoo. Of these, the grey-bellied and common hawk cuckoos are the most commonly seen and heard in city areas. Their repeated calls — sharp, rhythmic, and easily recognisable — are now being heard every day, a natural signal that the rainy season is here.
“All cuckoos are known for their melodious calls to attract mates, establish their territories and confuse host birds,” said Hyderabad-based birdwatcher Sri Ram Reddy. “They are admired by many for this reason. But their calls have a purpose: this is the time when they breed, and unlike many other birds, cuckoos don’t build their own nests. They lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, like crows and drongos. To do this, they use a clever method.”
One of the reasons cuckoos become vocal during monsoon is to distract the host birds. While the male cuckoo sings and catches attention, the female quietly enters the nest and lays her egg. This unique breeding strategy is called brood parasitism, and it is common to all cuckoo species.
“In most birds, the males sing during the mating season,” Sri Ram Reddy said. “In cuckoos, too, it is usually the male who calls. The songs attract mates and also serve to confuse the host birds. This is why cuckoos are mostly silent in other seasons, but become very active and loud during the monsoon.”
In cities like Hyderabad, their calls can now be heard in areas with tree cover colonies, colonies near lakes, public parks, and even in quieter bylanes. “Once you learn to recognise the call of the Common Hawk Cuckoo or Grey-bellied Cuckoo, you’ll start hearing it everywhere,” he added.
But not all cuckoos are easy to spot. The cndian Cuckoo, fork-tailed drongo cuckoo, and banded bay cuckoo are rarely seen within city limits. They are forest birds and are more commonly found in wooded areas of eastern Telangana regions like Pakhal, Kavadigundla, Anantagiri, Kambalapalli, Tadwai, Eturnagaram, and the edges of forest ranges in Bhadradri and Mulugu districts. Their calls are known to echo across valleys, and bird watchers say hearing a cuckoo call in the wild is a magical experience.
The banded bay cuckoo is one of the rarer species, mostly found in the eastern forests of Telangana. Its call is soft and pleasant, and in the quiet of the forest, the sound often echoes and carries over long distances, making it a special experience for those who hear it.
