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The Oriental cuckoo or Horsfields cuckoo (''Cuculus optatus'') is a bird belonging to the genus ''Cuculus'' in the cuckoo family Cuculidae. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the Himalayan cuckoo (''C. saturatus'') with the name Oriental cuckoo used for the combined species. Differences in voice and size suggest that they should be treated as a separate species.〔King, Ben (2005) (The taxonomic status of the three subspecies of ''Cuculus saturatus''. ) ''Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club'', 125 (1):48-55〕 The binomial name ''Cuculus horsfieldi'' has often been used instead of ''Cuculus optatus'' but is now usually considered to be a junior synonym.〔Peterson, Alan P. (ed.) (1999) ''(Zoological Nomenclature Resource (Zoonomen). )'' Accessed 22/08/07.〕 ==Description== It is 30-32 centimetres long with a wingspan of 51-57 centimetres and a weight of 73-156 grams. The adult male has a grey head, breast and upperparts. The belly is creamy-white with dark bars. The vent is frequently buff with few markings. The legs and feet are orange-yellow and there is a bare yellow ring around the eye. Adult females and juveniles occur in two morphs. The grey morph is similar to the male but has a brownish wash on the breast. The rufous morph is reddish-brown above, paler on the underparts and with strong dark barring all over including the rump. The common cuckoo (''C. canorus'') is very similar in appearance but is slightly bulkier with longer wings and tail and a slightly smaller head and bill. It is slightly paler grey and the barring on the underparts is a little narrower. The vent is usually white with dark bars but is more similar to Oriental cuckoo in a few individuals. Birds of the rufous morph have a plain rump with no dark bars unlike the Oriental cuckoo. The Himalayan cuckoo (''C. saturatus'') is extremely similar to the Oriental cuckoo but is slightly smaller and shorter-winged. The call of the male Oriental cuckoo is a series of low paired notes, ''poo-poo'', with both notes stressed equally. It is somewhat similar to the call of the Hoopoe. It may be introduced with a four to eight note phrase or sometimes with grating notes. The female's call is a deep bubbling trill. Outside the breeding season, the birds are usually silent. The call of the male Himalayan cuckoo is a series of three or four note phrases with a short, high-pitched introductory note. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Oriental cuckoo」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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