Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Fan-tailed Cuckoo

A beautiful Monday morning in the Peter Murrell Reserve at Kingston revealed a number of Fan-tailed Cuckoos calling repeatedly. They even managed to outdo the Golden Whistlers. I was struck by the numbers of them in this reserve, presumably only recently arrived from the Mainland, although a few do overwinter. Although the long trill is the call most associated with this cuckoo, they do in fact have quite a range of calls. I watched as the birds pictured, called, and noted that their whole body quivered as they delivered it, something I hadn't noticed before. Also newly arrived were a few Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoos and a small flock of Swift Parrots.

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