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According to HANZAB IV p 788, Channel-billed Cuckoos don't usually eject
the young of host species, but the host chicks generally disappear within
a week, presumably because the young cuckoos monopolize the food-supply
from the host parents (citing Goddard and Marchant (1983) 17 Australian
Birds 65-72)
Colin Scouler.
Alan Morris wrote:
Hi
Birders,I was surprised
to see the comment by Peter Adderly today who said" By the number of dead
baby birds lying around the streets of the Central Coast and the almost
continuing cackling sounds I'd say we'll have a lot of Channel-bills this
spring...".As a resident
of the Central Coast and a person who is out and about daily looking at
birds, all I can say is I have neither heard a Channel-bill so far, nor
seen any baby birds on the streets! Surely Peter Adderly is exaggerating!
The actual action of a Channel-billed Cuckoo destroying/evicting eggs &
young from Pied Currawaong nests, in order to make the host birds relay
so that the cuckoos can synchonise their egg laying is rarely seen and
most people would be totally oblivious to this activity. The first Central
Coast Channel-billed Cuckoo was not noted until 8/9/01 at Empire Bay. Alan
MorrisCentral Coast FOC
Group
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