Fan-tailed cuckoo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fan-tailed cuckoo |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Cacomantis
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| Species: |
flabelliformis
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| Australian Distribution of the fan-tailed cuckoo Data from The Atlas Of Living Australia |
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The fan-tailed cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis) is a type of cuckoo bird. It belongs to the cuckoo family, called Cuculidae. You can find these birds in many places. They live in Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The fan-tailed cuckoo is about 25 to 27 centimeters (10 to 11 inches) long. It has a slate-grey head, back, and wings. Its belly and chest are a reddish-brown color. The tail is black and white with stripes.
A special feature is the bright yellow ring around its eye. This yellow ring helps you tell it apart from other cuckoos. For example, the brush cuckoo is smaller and paler. The chestnut-breasted cuckoo is also smaller.
Where Do They Live? (Habitat)
Fan-tailed cuckoos live in many different places. They like temperate forests and tropical mangrove forests. You can also find them in moist mountain forests. They even live in paddocks, orchards, and gardens.
In Australia, they live along the coast. Their range goes from Cape York in Queensland all the way south to Shark Bay in Western Australia. They don't usually go more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) inland. In South Australia, they stick to the coast, except around Mount Gambier and the Eyre Peninsula. They also live in Tasmania.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
In Australia, fan-tailed cuckoos lay their eggs from July to January. These cuckoos are special because they are "brood parasites." This means they don't build their own nests. Instead, they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds.
They lay only one egg, which is a pale mauve-white color. It has red or brown spots. They often choose the nests of birds like fairywrens or thornbills. These birds usually have dome-shaped nests. The cuckoo's call sounds like a trill that goes down in pitch. It also makes a chirping sound, like a grasshopper.
What Do They Eat? (Diet)
The fan-tailed cuckoo eats many different things. In Australia, their diet includes various insects and their larvae. They also eat fruits and vegetables. Sometimes, they hunt small reptiles, mammals, and even other birds. They especially like to eat bird chicks.
They hunt by perching in an open spot. From there, they look for their prey. Once they spot something, they pounce. They can catch their food in the air or on the ground.
Conservation Status
The IUCN says the fan-tailed cuckoo is of "Least Concern". This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing. Scientists have not found any major threats to this bird.
The fan-tailed cuckoo lives in a very wide area. It is also thought to have a large population. It is common in most places where it lives. Even if its numbers are slowly going down, it's not happening fast enough to make it a threatened bird.
See also
In Spanish: Cuco flabeliforme para niños
