I was lucky enough to at last get a photo of a Channel-billed Cuckoo. This was taken while on Stradbroke Island the other day. The juvenile bird was calling to its host parents, in this case Torresian Crow.
Click on photo to enlarge
Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae)The Channel-billed Cuckoo is the largest of all parasitic birds, well over half a metre long, with the wingspan approaching a metre. When in flight from below it looks like a flying cross.
13 comments:
These guys are wonderful! Haven't seen or heard many around here, but they are a delight when they turn up.
(Probably not such a delight for the foster parents, though!)
Congrats on getting your Cuckoo shot. Nice shot!
Gorgeous shot! Parasitism is a very interesting phenomenon! Do the host parents always accept to raise the foreign baby bird born in their nest? The case of this young Cuckoo is much more interesting because, if I am not wrong, it is bigger in size than its host parent (crows), no?
Wow! How cool......I've never seen a photo of one before. They sound huge and must add a certain amount of drama when you see them flying across the sky. Beautiful capture.
Excellent shot! What a great bird too. I've seen a handful of different cuckoos but not this guy...Nice!
Nice photo - and those birds are so very noisy!
Congratulations on getting a photo of the Cuckoo! Very nice pose, too!
Thanks everyone for your comments.
Muge, as far as we know the host parents always accept the cuckoo baby as one of their own.The Torresian Crow size is 48-53cm and the Channel-billed Cuckoo is 58-65cm.
oh my, that was a large one. We don´t have them.
Thanks NatureFootstep they are very big.
Fantastic shot of a cuckoo I have never heard of Neil! It is amazing to me that the crow, a very smart bird, is fooled by this parasite. I love learning about new birds like this.
Regardless of its parasitic nature, it's a lovely bird.
Thanks Larry and Lana
Post a Comment