channel billed cuckoos

[Andrew Taylor <>]

On Tue, Nov 04, 2008 at 08:35:22PM +1100,  wrote:
> i have just returned from a few days around mallacoota and observed briefly
> a channel billed cuckoo, i was also talking to a local and he said he had
> seen three so this year,is this unusual this far south? regards alan jordan

In the past definitely, the Handlist of Birds in NSW from 1981 nominates
Bermagui as the southern limit with a couple of records then further
south including Bega & Gippsland.  But like a number of other species
including Figbirds & Koels they've been expanding their range south over
the last ~50 years.  Personally I know from summer visits CBCs are now
conspicuous south of Batemans Bay.

So I'd guess Mallacoota sightings are less unusual now.  I regularly see
CBCs in groups of three around Sydney and its puzzling why they would
fly in a group of 3.

Andrew