Large, loud, and impossible to ignore. With a curved bill like a flying toucan and a gravelly squawk that echoes over suburbs, this is one of Australia’s biggest cuckoos and a dramatic arrival each spring.
Channell-Billed Cuckoo
Scythrops novaehollandiae
Photo: Craig Walters
Photo: Stephen Goldsworthy
Photo: Lexi Lovell
Photo: Stephen Goldsworthy
Bird Description:
Special features:
They lay eggs in other birds’ nests, particularly crows and currawongs, leaving the foster parents to raise their giant youngster.
Did you know?:
Locals often hear them before they see them — a loud, honking call signalling summer’s approach. Perfect for dawn soundtracking in Agnes Water.
View more information on this bird at Birdlife Australia: https://birdlife.org.au/bird-profiles/channel-billed-cuckoo/
Habitat: Forest
Location: 1770-Joseph Banks Cons Park Sth, AW-1770 Golf Course, AW-Discovery Trails, AW-Town Centre, Eurimbula NP, Rural Acreage Areas
Size: Large
Type of bird: Bush Birds