Bird guideSahul Brush Cuckoo

A recent split from the Brush Cuckoo complex; its repetitive descending whistle call is a familiar sound of northern and eastern forests.

⚠️Not listed

At a glance

FamilyCuckoos
SizeMedium
RarityCommon
HabitatIn Australia, it is known to inhabit a range of environments including rainforests , rainforest edges, mangrove forests, secondary forests , and plantations.
Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from November to January.

Sounds

Sound sample
0:000:00
Recorded by Richard E. Webster

Range map

Range map

3179visible hotspots
66048visible records
4states
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

Gray eyering and heavily barred tail. Lack of a yellow eyering separates it from Fan-tailed Cuckoo, with which it overlaps in Australia and New Guinea.

Behavior

Calls frequently with an exhaustive series of separate whistles that fall in pitch and speed.

Regional timing

New South Wales
Peak: November to January11,121 records
Queensland
Peak: November to January36,015 records
Victoria
Peak: November to January3,273 records
Northern Territory
Peak: October to February9,078 records
Western Australia
Peak: August to October5,216 records
Australian Capital Territory
Peak: January1,270 records
Tasmania
Peak: January4 records
South Australia
Peak: December1 records
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