Its breeding season is March to June, coinciding with that of some of the "Turdoides" babblers. A single egg is laid in each nest, blue, like that of the host. The hatchling usually evicts the eggs of its host and is reared to maturity by foster parents, following them for nearly a month. T C Jerdon noted that it may not always evict the host and that young birds may be seen along with young babblers. When moving with a flock of babblers the chick makes a grating "kee-kee" call to beg for food and the foster parents within the group may feed it. The predominant host species in India are "Turdoides striatus" and "Turdoides affinis". Hawk-cuckoos also parasitise the large grey babbler "Turdoides malcolmi". In Sri Lanka, their host is "Turdoides striatus".