Fan-tailed Cuckoos can remain and call throughout winter, sometimes being heard at local orienteering venues, of which Bluett’s is one - although not the favourite of the fence-averse. The presence of FTCs was shown in the ‘winter birds’
exercise some years ago. I think I prepared the below the last time this was raised
From: Steve Read <>
Sent: Saturday, 4 May 2019 10:40 AM
To: 'Canberra birds' <>
Subject: [canberrabirds] Fan-tailed Cuckoo at Bluetts Block this morning (?)
Bluetts Block was quiet and still in the cool sunshine this morning. There was evidence of the recent rain, and a number of Spotted Pardalotes were hanging around a puddle at the side of the (recently graded) track. A flock of Yellow-tailed
Black-cockatoos came through to break the quiet.
One of the bird calls in the background was a repeated descending trill, in the ‘bouncing-ball’ style of a Fan-tailed Cuckoo. I entered the observation into eBird under this species (https://ebird.org/australia/view/checklist/S55735919),
being slightly surprised by hearing it at this season. but was wondering: is there any other species I could have confused this call with? I’m reasonably confident that it wasn’t a White-throated Treecreeper, Eastern Yellow Robin or Eastern Spinebill.
Steve
