Gooday all,
In last Saturdays Townsville Bulletin 4 August 2001 "Birdwatch" by Frank
Harrison makes mention of a sighting of the Long-tailed Cuckoo (Koel)
Eudynamys taitensis at Townsville 1996 and further sightings at Julatten and
Cairns in March 2000.
Pizzey and Knight record the range and status as " Breeds in NZ Oct-March:
migrates to islands off SE PNG; Bismark Arch. and Pacific. Irregular migrant
to Lord Howe Is., Norfolk Is. and probably outer islands of the Great
Barrier reef.
Morecombe doesn't even list the species in the index while Simpson and Day
record it on the Norfolk Is. and Lord Howe Is. birdlists as an irregular
visitor.
The article states the following:-
"Talking of myths you may remember a Birdwatch published in November 1999
where I reported that after a severe storm in 1996 a long-tailed cuckoo had
been delivered to a Townsville wildlife carer for rehabilitation. I also
mentioned that around the same time one had been seen near Julatten.
In March 2000 I visited Cairns and was surprised to read in the Cairns
Post's weekend feature, "Ranger Diary" that a long tailed cuckoo had
recently been spotted close to Cairns.
It went onto dogmatically proclaim that the bird was the first ever seen on
the Australian mainland. Good evidence that if you want to keep accurately
informed, read the Townsville Bulletin." end.
My question is why wasn't such an important sighting lodged with Birds Aust.
Rarities Committee or a Rare Bird Report submitted to QOSI?
I cannot find any evidence of these reported sightings ever being lodged.
With the bird reported at Townsville as being placed in the hands of a
wildlife carer were any photographs or descriptions taken to support the
sighting.?
Jon Wren
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
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