I have just a very short, shaky video and two stills, but I’m so pleased I managed to get a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike in the frame at last. I’ve seen and heard these birds a few times. They have a soft, chirring call and they swoop and glide high in the tree tops. When they come to rest, they’re either well shielded by foliage, or they fly off after just a short stop.

They have quite large eyes, and soft white and grey plumage:

This shot shows off the black face that gives the bird its name:

Common name: Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, also called a shufflewing

Scientific name: Coracina novaehollandiae

Approximate length: 35 cm

Date spotted: 5 May 2018 (Autumn)

Location: Manly Dam National Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’50.1″S 151°15’04.5″E