Least Concern

About 33–37 cm in length; weighs roughly 70–95 g

Both resident and migratory populations exist; northern India and Himalayan foothill populations migrate seasonally

Migrants move to peninsular India and Sri Lanka during the monsoon season; African populations undertake separate intra-African migrations

In India mainly during the Southwest Monsoon — typically June to August; aligns with host species’ breeding cycles

Obligate brood parasite; lays eggs in nests of babblers (especially the Large Grey Babbler & Jungle Babbler) and sometimes bulbuls; does not build its own nest

Open woodland, scrub, agricultural landscapes, semi-arid regions, grasslands with scattered trees, and forest edges; often associated with monsoon weather systems

Primarily insectivorous; feeds on caterpillars, grasshoppers, beetles, and other large insects; occasionally eats fruits and small vertebrates