In our local park, we spotted Australia’s largest cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae). Like other forms of cuckoo, eggs are laid in the nests of other species. The Channel-billed’s size means that is usually a Magpie or Currawong nest. It’s not uncommon for two eggs to be laid, so we assume these two juveniles were siblings.
The Channel-billed is not the most loved bird in Australia. The adults are a fairly drab grey, and their habit of calling very loudly all night long during breeding season does not endear them to humans.
A stretch of the legs…
While the adults are boringly grey, we think the juveniles’ caramel / toffee and matte black wing details make them really rather handsome. So we took a heap of pics!
Though they called loudly for food, the foster parents did not show – perhaps they had finally wised up? As the afternoon light began to fade, we left these guys to themselves.
Bramandagram 