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Channel-billed Cuckoo

Scythrops novaehollandiae

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernFruitForestLarge · 684 g
Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae), photo 1
Photo: Bilby · CC BY 3.0
Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae), photo 2
Photo: James Niland from Brisbane, Australia · CC BY 2.0
Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae), photo 3
Photo: John Robert McPherson · CC0
Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae), photo 4
Photo: Elizabeth Meier · CC BY 4.0
Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae), photo 5
Photo: Tim · CC BY 4.0
Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae), photo 6
Photo: Tim · CC BY 4.0
Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae), photo 7
Photo: Bronte-Maye · CC BY 4.0
Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae), photo 8
Photo: Bilby · CC BY 3.0
Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae), photo 9
Photo: James Niland from Brisbane, Australia · CC BY 2.0
Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae), photo 10
Photo: John Robert McPherson · CC0

What the Channel-billed Cuckoo sounds like

Sonogram of the Channel-billed Cuckoo: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by James Ray · Call, flight call, song · Faulconbridge, Blue Mountains City Council, New South Wales, Australia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Channel-billed Cuckoo: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by James Ray · Song · Beaconsfield, Council of the City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

The world's largest cuckoo, the channel-billed cuckoo measures between 56–70 cm (22–28 in) long, with a 88–107 cm (35–42 in) wingspan, and weighing between 560–935 g (1.235–2.061 lb). 24 adults were found to have averaged 684 g (1.508 lb) in body mass. According to a manual on avian body masses, another species of cuckoo, the buff-headed coucal, may have a mean body mass some 11% higher than the channel-billed cuckoo. The bill is bi-coloured, with a grey base becoming straw-coloured at the tip.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Channel-billed Cuckoo

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 6 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is October, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Channel-billed Cuckoo

Regular range

The map shades 5 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Australia Indonesia Papua New Guinea Timor-Leste Solomon Islands

About the Channel-billed Cuckoo

The channel-billed cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is monotypic within the genus Scythrops. The species is the largest brood parasite in the world, and the largest cuckoo.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Klaas's Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx klaas) Klaas's CuckooChrysococcyx klaasKlaas's cuckoo is 16–18 cm (6.3–7.1 inches) in length. Sahul Brush Cuckoo (Cacomantis variolosus) Sahul Brush CuckooCacomantis variolosusThe Sahul brush cuckoo is about 22–26 cm (8.7–10.2 in) long. Pheasant Coucal (Centropus phasianinus) Pheasant CoucalCentropus phasianinus50 to 70 cm (20 to 28 in) in length, the pheasant coucal is a large heavy-set bird adapted for living on the ground, reminiscent of a pheasant in shape.

Side by side: Channel-billed Cuckoo vs Pheasant Coucal · Channel-billed Cuckoo vs Klaas's Cuckoo · Channel-billed Cuckoo vs Sahul Brush Cuckoo

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