---
title: "Chestnut-breasted Malkoha"
description: "Phaenicophaeus curvirostris — Birds. The chestnut-breasted malkoha (Phaenicophaeus curvirostris) is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/chestnut-breasted-malkoha
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Chestnut-breasted Malkoha

> Phaenicophaeus curvirostris — Birds. The chestnut-breasted malkoha (Phaenicophaeus curvirostris) is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae.

- Scientific name: *Phaenicophaeus curvirostris*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: `forest` (Forest), `jungle` (Jungle)
- iNaturalist observations: 1192
- Wikidata: [Q2017168](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2017168)
- iNaturalist taxon: [73186](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/73186)

## Names

- en: Chestnut-breasted Malkoha
- de: Schimmerkuckuck
- es: Malcoha Pechicastaño
- fr: Malcoha rouverdin
- nl: Roestbuikmalkoha
- pl: Kukuła sundajska

## Countries with the most observations

MY (708), ID (236), TH (140), PH (26), BN (6), MM (3)

## Summary

The chestnut-breasted malkoha (Phaenicophaeus curvirostris) is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. Found in Southeast Asia from Myanmar through to eastern Java, the Philippines and Borneo, it is a large cuckoo measuring up to 49 cm (19 in) with grey and dark green upperparts and chestnut underparts, and a large curved pale upper mandible. The male and female are similar in plumage. Unlike many cuckoos, it builds its nest and raises its own young.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chestnut-breasted_malkoha

## Photo

![Chestnut-breasted Malkoha](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/chestnut-breasted-malkoha/medium.jpg)

Photo: Justin Philbois · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/259504079

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/chestnut-breasted-malkoha?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).