Cuckoo id?

["Philip Veerman" <>]

Lindell,

 

When I open it on a system that I can increase the brightness of the photo, it is clear that it is almost entirely plain grey-brown on the back and wings. It is my understanding that Brush Cuckoo young are heavily speckled and barred above with pale brown, whereas juvenile Fantail Cuckoo are plain (unmarked) above. Some are less obvious but this one fits well within only one camp. This bird clearly has none of this marking, so I'd believe it is a juvenile Fantail Cuckoo. That is assuming that HANZAB and other books are right and that the birds are consistent. I would think feather pattern is far more likely to be reliable than eye ring colour, I suspect (not sure) eye ring colour is an irrelevance.

 

Philip

-----Original Message-----From: Lindell [
Sent: Wednesday, 4 March 2015 2:42 PM
To: Canberra Birds
Subject: [canberrabirds] Cuckoo id?

I need confirmation on the id of this Cuckoo please. My first thoughts were of a juvenile Fantail Cuckoo but on getting a closer look on the computer I think now with what appears to be a grey eye-ring it has to be a Brush Cuckoo but I thought a walk around Diddam's Close  Lake Ginninderra this morning was not the place to find one. (A total of 33 species in two hours).

Help would be appreciated please.

Thanks

Lindell

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 Which Cuckoo Diddam's Close.JPG

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Lindell

Griffith ACT