Little Bronze-Cuckoo at Byfield

People interested in bronze-cuckoos might want to take a look at the photograph of the bird in this post:

http://sunshinecoastbirds.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/birding-camping-and-kayaki ng-around.html.

Not a great picture but the bird was calling at the time, just like a Little Bronze Cuckoo, and the eye colour appears to rule out the race minutillus, which is migratory in south-east Queensland.

This suggests the tropical race russatus, which until recently was regarded as a separate species. If so, the area where I saw it, Byfield, is the most southerly location known for that subspecies, although it has been reported from there previously.

Several other birds occur south to this region, including Broad-billed Flycatcher and Little Kingfisher.

Greg Roberts

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1 comment to Little Bronze-Cuckoo at Byfield

  • "Jeff Davies"

    G’day Greg,

    I would put aside the call you heard and look more closely at the bird because it is even less likely to be a Gould’s BC than a Little BC from what I can see in the photo. Your bird has an obvious golden yellow iris. Adult male of both Little and Gould’s are both ruled out because they have red eyes and eye-ring, females of both have dark eyes with a pale eye-ring usual set in a darker surround especially so with Gould’s females which are also typically a rather darker bird generally and never with a yellow green rump and tail which on this bird is the same colour as the back, should show a good degree of rufous on rump and tail. There are other features as well but I recon this is enough to go with and point to Shining Bronze Cuckoo.

    Cheers Jeff.