Malkohas of Southeast Asia

Malkohas are a bizarre set of birds found across Southeast Asia. These birds are a part of the larger Cuculidae family, alongside Coucals and Cuckoos, but they stand out with their distinct size and coloration. As insectivores, they often hide within deep thickets and forests, making them shy when people are around. And this is my attempt to showcase these mysterious Flower cuckoo wonders found in Southeast Asia!

This illustration is based on the newly released 2025 AviList, which currently recognizes 10 species of Malkohas in Southeast Asia. These illustrations were done roughly to scale with one another. I find it amusing to see the adorable Raffle's Malkoha alongside the massive Green-billed Malkoha on the same canvas. Additionally, I added flags to indicate which countries these Malkohas are currently seen, providing a visual guide to their distribution.

In terms of fun stats:

• Both the Philippines and Indonesia are home to two country-endemic Malkoha species each, with Indonesia having the most Malkoha species total.

• The island of Borneo is home to five species of Malkoha; look out for the birds with the Brunei Flag.

• Singapore used to have 4 Malkoha species, but habitat loss has now only left Singapore with the Chestnut-bellied Malkoha. Birds that have been extirpated are marked here.

• The Green-billed Malkoha is the only Malkoha species that can be found across all countries in mainland Southeast Asia, and it is the only Malkoha species recorded in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

• All five Phaenicophaeus Malkohas are on the right side of the composition, and the more unique Malkoha genera are on the left.