# Bird id



## mysnakesau (Oct 28, 2011)

I saw a bird, very similar to this photo in my yard this morning. He was on the fence and flew down to my native garden. I didn't get a photo  but he was a large bird - about the size of a black cockatoo or small eagle. First glance at this bird I thought it was a small eagle or hawk. It was black with dark brown wings, with a long black tail. At first I thought, according to my Field Guide it looked like a Coucal Pheasant but looking at photos on the internet, this bird had no cream on him. He was jet black and dark brown winged. But the one in this photo, there is no mention of it being found in our country. Anybody know what birds we have that may look like this fella?











File:Greater Coucal (Centropus sinensis) in Hyderabad W IMG 8957.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I am always watching out for bird life in my gardens, and will be keen to see this guy come back. I'll be waiting with my camera.


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## Bluetonguesblack (Oct 28, 2011)

Suss out the cuckoo family Kath, i get a very large bird species around my place each year and after doing some homework some years back i believed it to be from that family. Possibly from papua new guinie and as i recollect it also may have been the largest bird of the family too. They are migratory. A pair have just started to show themselves in the last week or so here and they make a loud, , Kark Kark karking sound. And two were being chased by a pr of crows just this morning over my house. B4 anyone shoots me down this is just a suggestion, mmkay.. Ross.


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## Fuscus (Oct 28, 2011)

A Pheasant Coucal seems to be the likely candidate. Did it fly low or run?
Another possibility would be a common keol Male Common Keol | Flickr - Photo Sharing! . Again these birds try and stay under cover ( with good reason too )


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## Snowman (Oct 28, 2011)

Its an escaped pet. A crow phesant or also known as a greater coucal.
Greater Coucal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Ramsayi (Oct 28, 2011)

Greater Coucal (Centropus sinensis)


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## Sock Puppet (Oct 28, 2011)

Bluetonguesblack said:


> i get a very large bird species around my place each year and after doing some homework some years back i believed it to be from that family. Possibly from papua new guinie and as i recollect it also may have been the largest bird of the family too. They are migratory. A pair have just started to show themselves in the last week or so here and they make a loud, , Kark Kark karking sound.


Sounds like you've got some channel billed cuckoos, bluetonguesblack. They & koels migrate down this way each year to breed, both species are parasitic brooders, in that they lay their eggs in other bird's nests (like currawongs) & their babies hatch quickly & kill or push out any competing babies/eggs. The unsuspecting adoptive parents then raise the cuckoo chick as their own.


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## Bluetonguesblack (Oct 28, 2011)

Thanks Sock Puppet. I`ve just gotten my Claremont Field Guide out and had a look and i`m pretty sure they`r the ones i get round here. Although i`ve not seen them super close up. , Ross.


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## Ramsayi (Oct 28, 2011)

Fledgling with confused looking mother.


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## Bluetonguesblack (Oct 28, 2011)

Pretty sure thats them Ramsayi, Dont know if this answers the original question .thanks anyway. Ross

Oh and thanks heaps for showin us them pics too. Nice !! . Ross.


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## Nephrurus (Oct 28, 2011)

Kath, congrats on getting some nice native birds into your garden. 

I'm with Fuscus. In your neck of the woods you'd have Pheasant Coucal (they go about as far south as the 'gong (and expanding their range) but the most likely is an immature male Koel. Male Koels are shiny black, it may have still have juvenile (mottled brown) wing feathers. Pheasant coucals can get very dark so it could have been one of these. 

I don't have photos of either, but they'll be in your field guide. It's extremely unlikely to be an escaped Greater Coucal. I'm not sure these are even in Australia (stranger things have been bought in though). 


Again, i'm glad your native garden is getting in the wildlife!


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## Ramsayi (Oct 28, 2011)

Nephrurus said:


> I don't have photos of either, but they'll be in your field guide. It's extremely unlikely to be an escaped Greater Coucal. I'm not sure these are even in Australia (stranger things have been bought in though).



I agree Nepher however the pic posted is a dead ringer for Greater Coucal.


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## mysnakesau (Oct 28, 2011)

The photos I posted is the Greater Coucal. I couldn't get a photo of the bird in my garden, but this is the closest I found on the internet, that looked the same as the bird in my garden. Splitting image I reckon you're right, it most likely was this fellow, on his way to whereever he's headed. I just wanted to find out if I could have mistaken it for something else that looked the same. 

I didn't see how it landed on the fence but it flew down to the ground and spend some time foraging about. I didn't want to scare him away trying to get pics. 

Thanks Henry  I have put in lots of native trees and shrubs to encourage the native wildlife into my yard. A lot of my yard tends to stay wet, water logged as we are almost at the bottom of a hill, so I lost my melaleucas, and one of my banksias. But what is still there is thriving. I get lots of little birds in the tea tree - double bar finches, wrens, silver eyes, and reddies, and have on occasions had the odd bigger visitor such as this beauty. 

Thank you all, for your input. Nice to see that these guys aren't uncommon.


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