Photographed this bird today It was in our mulberry tree then flew to a nearby gum tree after being harassed by noisy minors. Any help identifying the bird would be appreciated.
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Try again with a photo. Thanks for the tip in the help folder.
Channel-billed cuckoo. Their eggs are laid in the nests of other birds, and those other birds then raise the young. The host parents are often currawongs and ravens / crows, I think. The CBCs come to Australia around September to breed, and then leave in March, I think. I'm pretty sure they're found mainly in the subtropical coastal areas of Qld, perhaps down to NSW (I'm not looking at my bird book so I might be wrong). They make a very loud squawking - I often think of it as a cross between a honk and a screech (a honking screech). They're often being harrassed by other birds. Check out the BiBY home page; there might be a fact sheet about them.
Andy.
Thanks Andy. Found a fact sheet on the home page. Going by the size of the bird, I expect the cuckoo is a mature one. It makes a pleasant change to the flying foxes that regularly raid the mulberry tree at night.
Hi Curryhouse,
Is this the first time you've seen a CBC? Even though they're regular visitors to Australia, I don't think they're commonly seen, so it's great that you've seen one. I notice that you're new to the forum - are you a birdy person? It's always nice when a non-birdy person sees something special and shares it with us.
Let us know of any other interesting birds you see!
Regards,
Andy.
Hi Andy. Yes, it is the first time I have seen a CBC. I have just recently moved into the area so will be keeping a look out for other bird types that frequent the area. I am new to the forum having found the site whilst googling for information on the unknown bird. The site proved to be a good find!
Cheers, Neil