The Pied Crested Cuckoo is a member of cuckoo order of birds that is found in Africa and Asia. It is partially migratory and in India, it has been considered a harbinger of the Monsoon rains due to the timing of its arrival.
It has been associated with a bird in Indian mythology and poetry, known as the 'chatak' and represented as a bird with a beak on its head that waits for rains to quench its thirst.
This medium sized, slim black and white cuckoo with a crest is distinctive. The white wing patch on the black wing and the pattern make it unmistakable even in flight.
