Penny -
I'm not sure how far south Well 50 on the CSR is but the southerly range
of the Ph Coucal in WA appears further south than in the NT - it may not
be such a large extension as here - but see this note forwarded from a
colleague further up the Tanami track:
"I've been regularly recording and observing Pheasant Coucals in the
Tanami Desert since 2000 (including juveniles).
With the large rains we had out there since 2000 and including the 1 in
900 yr event last year, it wouldn't surprise me to see them father south
at Newhaven, although I would not think that it would be an extension to
their range (as yet)."
So perhaps my record isn't so unusual after all - anyway, I'll keep
listening and looking.
Cheers,
Robert Gosford
Yuendumu
Penny Brockman wrote:
Dear Robert
We heard Pheasant Coucal at Well 50 of the Canning Stock Route 22.7.04
and saw Brown Quail, both not shown as being in this region. Due we
were told to the 2002 cyclone that had brought a lot of water down
from the north. We also had Brown Quail at Well 33 on 15 and 16 July,
also out of region. Maybe it's because of Global Warming?
I was camping about 30km north of Newhaven over the weekend and
yesterday, 28 January, I heard a Pheasant Coucal, /Centropus
phasianinus /calling from about 0630 to 0715 hours. It was in thick
scrub along a dry creek line at the bottom of a scree slope and
seemed to be moving away from me.
Having lived in the Top End of the NT for some years I am familiar
with the Coucal's call and, while I didn't sight the bird/s I am
confident that I identified it correctly.
None of the field guides I have to hand show the range of this
species being further south than about the Katherine/Mataranka area.
The New Atlas has a single, non-breeding Autumn record from Alice
Springs, approx. 300 km to the south-east, and three records for all
seasons from the Lajamanu area, about 500km to the north-west. I also
note that the BA Newhaven Birds List has no entry for the Coucal.
This may be worth pursuing further because it represents a
substantial extension of the bird's range - I'll try to get back to
have a more extended stay in the area sometime over the next few
months. I'd welcome any comments or news of similar sightings from
the southern NT.
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