Channel-billed Cuckoo
NameChannel-billed Cuckoo
Common NameChannel-billed Cuckoo
Scientific NameScythrops novaehollandiae
FamilyCuculidae
Wingspan (cm)97.5
Length (cm)64
Weight (g)740
Plumage DetailsAdults have a pale grey head, neck, and underparts, contrasting with darker grey upperparts and wings that display a distinct scaly pattern. The long tail is dark grey with white tips on the outer feathers. They possess bright red eyes surrounded by a bare red eye-ring, and a very large, pale horn-colored bill with a prominent channel along the upper mandible.
Vocalization / CallKnown for its loud, raucous, and far-carrying calls, often described as a repeated 'kawk-kawk-kawk' or 'kroo-kroo-kroo', sometimes sounding like 'rabble-rabble-rabble'. These calls are particularly noticeable during the breeding season.
Primary Dietomnivore
Primary Habitatsforest, urban
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Geographic RangeBreeds across northern and eastern Australia, New Guinea, and parts of Indonesia. During the non-breeding season, it migrates north to Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands.
Identifying Featuresmassive pale channelled bill, red eyes with bare red eye-ring, large size (largest cuckoo), grey plumage with scaly wings, long tail with white tips
Description
This is the world's largest cuckoo, easily recognized by its massive, pale, channelled bill and striking red eyes. It is a migratory species known for its brood parasitic behavior, laying eggs in the nests of other large birds, particularly corvids.
