I suppose I have visited ANBG about 30 or so
times since
early Spring and I have heard FTCs more often than not. I would not
expect them to call throughout Winter, but it is not all that unusual
to hear
them in June and July. Certainly, this is the least migratory of our
cuckoos. Below are the season maps for the species from the BA atlas.
As the species is rather
sluggish and
usually calls from the denser veg reporting is usually prompted by the
call.
This, I think largely explains the Spring map. The other maps are not
all
that different from one another. There would be a bit of altitudinal
movement, and no doubt they range around somewhat in search of
caterpillar
concentrations. If it were not called a ‘cuckoo’, I wonder if
it would not be described as a ‘resident’. On the other hand,
local practice is to require a very slight amount of partial relocation
to earn
a species the ‘migrant’ label, so perhaps on that basis it is just
another one of our many local ‘migrants’.
