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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Cuculidae
  4. ›
  5. Cacomantis
  6. ›
  7. Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo
Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo
Photo · (c) dhfischer, some rights reserved (CC BY)

BirdUp · Species

Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo

Cacomantis castaneiventris(Gould, 1867)

Updated 21 March 2026

Conservation status: Least ConcernOrigin: Native
Order
CUCULIFORMES
Family
Cuculidae
Genus
Cacomantis

At a glance

The Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo is a medium-sized bird, about 22 cm long, listed as Least Concern and native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
22 cm
Conservation status
Least Concern
Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Local
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo look like?

The Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo is a medium-sized bird, about 22 cm long and weighing 26–34 g.

The chestnut-breasted cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
22 cm
Weight
26–34 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo?

The Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo eat?

The Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo feeds on terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging alone.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

2 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo live in Australia?

The Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo is native to Australia, recorded across 3 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingNew Guinea and west satellites, and north and east Cape York Pen., north-east QLD (north-east Australia)

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Vagrant
  • Resident

5 regions recorded