Fan-tailed Cuckoo

Overview

The fan-tailed cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis) is a species of cuckoo found across Australia, New Guinea, and various Pacific Islands. It is currently listed by the IUCN as Least Concern due to its wide range and presumed large population.

Identification

• Approximately 25–27 cm in length with a slate-grey head, back, and wings.
• Rufous underparts and a black and white barred tail.
• Surrounded by a distinctive yellow orbital eye ring that helps distinguish it from the smaller brush cuckoo and chestnut-breasted cuckoo.
• Voice described as a descending trill with a grasshopper-like chirp.

Habitat

Natural habitats include temperate and tropical forests, mangroves, paddocks, orchards, and gardens. In Australia, its range follows the coast from Cape York in Queensland to Shark Bay in Western Australia, extending to Tasmania and parts of South Australia.

Diet

This species feeds on a variety of insects, their larvae, fruits, vegetables, and small vertebrates including reptiles, mammals, and bird chicks. It forages by perching in an exposed position to locate prey, then pouncing to catch it in the air or on the ground.

Did you know?

The fan-tailed cuckoo is a brood parasite that lays a single mauve white egg, spotted with red and/or brown, into the nests of other birds such as fairywrens or thornbills.