A Channel-billed Cuckoo has found a substantial tasty treat (a large stick insect) for his lady love. He purrs and growls, looking for her in the tree where they were last together. Ah, there she is. She’s flown off to another tree, being pestered non-stop by Noisy Miners and Currawongs.

The male cuckoo flies over to her and shows her the treat. She’s keen, but he doesn’t give it to her until she consents to mate with him. As the deed is done, she grabs the proffered treat and then eats it with evident enjoyment.

Channel-billed Cuckoos are large, odd looking birds, with red eyes, huge curved bills, and snake-like necks. They’re migratory, arriving on Australia’s south eastern coast in spring and leaving for more northern climes in autumn.

Like most cuckoos, they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds and relay on those birds to feed and care for their young. They eat mostly fruit, but are also partial to insects, like this stick insect, and to small animals and reptiles. They’ll occasionally prey on the chicks of other birds. It’s not surprising that the Noisy Miners and Currawongs chase them away!

If you like, you can see some good photos and read more about these birds in my posts about Channel-billed Cuckoos.

Common name: Channel-billed Cuckoo
Scientific name: Scythrops novaehollandiae
Approximate length: 58-65 cm
Date spotted: 27 October 2026 (spring)
Location: Allambie Heights, New South Wales, Australia