I had always assumed that the Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo was a winter migrant to our place in the southern Mt Lofty Ranges in SA. For the nearly 36 years we've been here this species has arrived around late April, May & left late September, early October. So my curiosity has been raised since late 2022 by the occasional calls of at least one Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo. I wondered if the species was over-summering.
My curiosity was raised even further yesterday when I heard, for the first time in some weeks, a Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo calling. So I checked several field guides only to find that this species is recorded a summer migrant, not a winter migrant, to southern Australia.
I'm interested to learn if other Birds in Backyarders have had this topsy turvey experience with the Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo.
Nice observation Woko. I know they migrate away from Tassie for our winter, perhaps some come your way. I guess it depends on what is defined as "southern Australia"? Very much summer birds down here (mind you, I am yet to see one, going on information from other sources).
Perhaps you may have provided suitable habitat and the urge to migrate may not be as strong?
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Thanks for your thoughts, Dale, particularly the one about the birds from Tasmania migrating our way for winter. I'll do a bit more poking around to see what else I can find.
Dale, I found from my 1984 edition of The Atlas of Australian Birds that, among other things, Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo breeds in Australia & some birds migrate in winter to New Guinea, Indonesia & islands of the eastern Indian Ocean. In the Atherton region they're present all year. Generally, data for this edition of the atlas showed that reports were higher in summer than in winter.
In most places some birds remained in winter. Near Sydney they're most common from August to February. Reporting rates in the south east of Australia, including Tasmania, were high in spring, low in winter. The species was almost completely absent from Tasmania in winter. (Which fits with the information you've gathered).
Birds migrate through the southern Murray-Darling in spring & summer, sometimes staying to breed or to winter. (This is probably where the birds we observe in winter come in).
In south west WA reporting rates were high in winter & spring, low in summer.
So there's considerable variation in their location throughout the year across Australia - or there was when this data was collected - so perhaps it's not unusual for us to have birds at our place in winter although the regularity of their appearance is rather interesting, I think, & seems to be more consistent with regular migration. I shall cease being too amazed by my observations, at least for the time being.
Intersting reading Woko, thanks for your research and insight.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania