Scythrops novaehollandiae

Size: Birds Size: 60 cm

Family: Cuculidae (Old World (Parasitic) Cuckoos, 11 species in Australia).

Distribution: Within 1000-2000 km of the coasts of northern and eastern Australia, as far south as the south of NSW, with a few patches in VIC.

Status: Moderately common

Habitat: Tall trees

References: Simpson and Day, Reader's Digest

About the Channel-billed Cuckoo

The Channel-billed Cuckoo is Australia's largest cuckoo. Like all Australian cuckoos (except for the Pheasant Coucal) it is a nest parasite. That is, it lays its eggs in the nests of other species of birds. When the eggs hatch, the cockoo chicks kill or eject the chicks that belong to the nest. If you see one of these in a tree, usually there will be a whole lot of other birds all hassling it, sometimes quite severely. The Pheasant Coucal is larger, but it is in a different family and it is not a nest parasite.

Photo: Featherdale Wildlife Park, Sydney NSW.

Artwork: John Gould, 'The Birds of Australia', 1848. Higher Resolution 675 x 1000.

See Also

Australian Mammals
Australian Reptiles
Australian Frogs
Australian Fish
Australian Spiders and Their Faces
Australian Wild Plant Foods

Return to Australian Birds