Pheasant Coucals

["North Head Bird Surveys" <>]

In regards to pheasant coucals,
I have observed them many times covering distances of up to perhaps 200-300m
in level flight rather than gliding, when crossing rivers or open savanna in
search of suitable patches of woodland. They appear to rest at the first
opportune moment upon reaching their destination as if exhausted. I made
four trips to the Kimberley over the past 13 months, doing surveys over a
large (300km) area. They were very common in Oct 2004 and Oct 2005, but very
thin on the ground in Mar 05 and Jun 05 which suggests some form of seasonal
mass movement away from the area.

It would however seem that if they were to cover large distances then the
evolution of large heavy tail feathers would be an annoyingly cumbersome
adaptation!

Mark