BirdUp · Species
Long-tailed Cuckoo
Urodynamis taitensis(Sparrman, 1787)
Also known asKoekoeā
- Order
- CUCULIFORMES
- Family
- Cuculidae
- Genus
- Urodynamis
- Conservation
- Least Concern
- Commonness
- Local
- Best seen
- Year-round
01 · Identification
How to tell it apart
The long-tailed koel, also known as the long-tailed cuckoo, Pacific long-tailed cuckoo, sparrow hawk, home owl, screecher, screamer or koekoeā in Māori, is a species of the Cuculidae bird family. It is the only species placed in the genus Urodynamis. It is a migratory bird that spends spring and summer in New Zealand, its only breeding place, and spends winter in the Pacific islands. It is a brood parasite, laying its eggs in the nests of other bird species and leaving them to raise its chicks.
Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
02 · Where
Where to find it
- Breeding range
- New Zealand (North, South, Stewart islands and satellites)
- Non-breeding range
- Central and south tropical Pacific, from Palau (west Caroline Is., west Micronesia) to Pitcairn group (south-east Polynesia)
03 · When
When to look
Months this species is recorded across its Australian range.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
05 · Behaviour
Habits and haunts
The BirdUp app
Log your next Long-tailed Cuckoo in the field
A pocket field journal for 850+ Australian birds. Offline-first, smart ID, and a lifelist that travels with you.