Typically inhabits dense rainforest habitats.
Not listed
At a glance
FamilyCuckoos
SizeSmall
RarityUncommon
HabitatTypically inhabits dense rainforest habitats.
Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from January.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Oscar Campbell
Range map
Range map
56approx hotspots
2335approx records
1states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Plumage similar to Fan-tailed Cuckoo but smaller, more richly colored.
Behavior
Secretive; most easily located when calling. Call is a piercing, descending trill, similar to that of Fan-tailed.
Gallery
Regional timing
Queensland
Commonly confused with
Oriental CuckooCuculus optatusBoth also extremely similar to Common and Lesser cuckoos, but with buffy rather than white vent. Brownish-yellow iris readily distinguishes Oriental from the smaller, darker-eyed Lesser Cuckoo.→Little Bronze-CuckooChalcites minutillusMales have a prominent red eyering.→Pacific KoelEudynamys orientalisBright red eye. Males entirely black. Females barred with varying patterns, a black crown and a strong moustache. Occurs in a variety of habitats, fairly common in suburban areas. Strong migrant, spending the middle of the year in eastern Indonesia, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, and migrating south into eastern Australia during the austral summer.→