Long-tailed cuckoo
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The Pacific long-tailed cuckoo (''Urodynamis taitensis''), also known as the long-tailed cuckoo, long-tailed koel, sparrow hawk, home owl, screecher, screamer or in
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
, is a species of the
Cuculidae Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes . The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals and anis. The coucals and anis are sometimes separ ...
bird family (the cuckoos). It is a
migratory bird Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement, often north and south along a flyway, between Breeding in the wild, breeding and wintering grounds. Many species of bird migrate. Animal migration, Migration carries high costs in predation a ...
that spends spring and summer in
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, its only breeding place, and spends winter in the
Pacific islands Collectively called the Pacific Islands, the islands in the Pacific Ocean are further categorized into three major island groups: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Depending on the context, the term ''Pacific Islands'' may refer to one of se ...
. It is a
brood parasite Brood parasites are animals that rely on others to raise their young. The strategy appears among birds, insects and fish. The brood parasite manipulates a host, either of the same or of another species, to raise its young as if it were its own ...
, laying its eggs in the nests of other bird species and leaving them to raise its chicks.


Taxonomy

''Urodynamis taitensis'' is most closely related to the
channel-billed cuckoo The channel-billed cuckoo (''Scythrops novaehollandiae'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Scythrops''.Payne (2005), p. 380. The species is the largest brood parasite in the world, and the largest ...
(''Scythrops novaehollandiae''), which lives in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
,
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
and
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
, according to Sorenson and Payne (2005). Accordingly, it is not part of the ''Eudynamys'' genus (the true
koel The true koels, ''Eudynamys'', are a genus of cuckoos from Asia, Australia and the Pacific. They are large sexually dimorphic cuckoos that eat fruits and insects and have loud distinctive calls. They are brood parasites, laying their eggs in ...
s), with which it has previously been placed.


Description

The long-tailed cuckoo has a length of approximately 40–42 cm; wingspan of approximately 47–52 cm and weighs about 120 grams. Large cuckoo with broad pointed wings, very long tail and softly rounded at the tip, and short stout with two coloured bill, both slightly hooked tip. Brown barring to brown upperparts, and dark streaking to white underparts. Both males and females share similar features. Young cuckoo is very different from adult: it is spotted, and buff underneath and on sides of head and neck. Adult. Top of head and hindneck, dark brown, boldly streaked buff. Supercilium, White's, bordered below by bold dark-brown eye stripe continuing downsides of neck, cheeks, chin, throat and foreneck, whites with thin brown stripes and fine black streaking on near neck and throat. The remainder of the upperparts are brown with white spotting on wing. Tail is tipped white. The underbody is white with course black brown streaking. Legs and feet are gray to green. Long-tailed cuckoo have a loud and intense sound, a "shrill whistle"; it is sometimes called the "screamer".


Distribution and habitat

Endemic to New Zealand, where they can be found on Little Barrier Island, the West Coast of the South Island, Nelson, and throughout the central North Island. Long-tailed cuckoo prefer to live in forest on mainland and near shore or offshore islands, from sea level. in mountainous areas, more often on vegetated ridges than in valleys. Usually in dense, closed canopy of native forests dominated by beech ''Nothofagus,'' broadleaf species or
podocarps Podocarpaceae is a large family of mainly Southern Hemisphere conifers, known in English as podocarps, comprising about 156 species of evergreen trees and shrubs.James E. Eckenwalder. 2009. ''Conifers of the World''. Portland, Oregon: Timber Pr ...
or mixtures, with or without shrub layer. Usually surrounded by plantations of Pines (''Pinus''). Can be around other vegetation such as manuka ''Lepotospermum scoparium'' by rivers or forests or mountainous areas. Occasionally can be found in recreational parks, residential areas and gardens. In New Zealand the cuckoos live mainly in native forest, particularly up in the
canopy Canopy may refer to: Plants * Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests) * Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes Religion and ceremonies * Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an a ...
. They also live in exotic pine plantations, scrub, cultivated land and suburban gardens. In the Pacific islands they live in lowland forest, gardens and coconut plantations. Individuals are usually solitary. The long-tailed cuckoo breeds only in New Zealand, where it is resident in the warmer months, from early October until February or March, sometimes April and occasionally later. The length of an average one-way journey from New Zealand to Polynesia is around 2500-3500 kilometers and thus travel over 6000 kilometers. For winter it migrates to islands right across the southern Pacific. It is found year-round on the
Kermadec Islands The Kermadec Islands ( mi, Rangitāhua) are a subtropical island arc in the South Pacific Ocean northeast of New Zealand's North Island, and a similar distance southwest of Tonga. The islands are part of New Zealand. They are in total are ...
, the
Norfolk Island Norfolk Island (, ; Norfuk: ''Norf'k Ailen'') is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about from Lord Howe Island. Together with ...
group and the
Lord Howe Island Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland P ...
group, which are subtropical islands part way between the New Zealand mainland and the tropical Pacific Islands. The spread of its winter distribution is extraordinarily wide, stretching almost 11,000 km from
Palau Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ...
in the west to
Pitcairn Island Pitcairn Island is the only inhabited island of the Pitcairn Islands, of which many inhabitants are descendants of mutineers of HMS ''Bounty''. Geography The island is of volcanic origin, with a rugged cliff coastline. Unlike many other ...
. Over most of its winter range, it is known by the indigenous name, (or local variations of this). In spring, the bird's routes of migration would almost certainly have served to guide the Polynesian ancestors of
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
to find New Zealand.


Behaviour


Breeding

Long-tailed cuckoo have many partners during their lifetime. They mate and break-up easily. Males gain attraction from females through spanning their wings and fluttering them whilst calling. Male cuckoo have a high pitched sound and they are very territorial. You will hear them calling either to make known their territory to other birds or as a call for a mate. Female cuckoo are similar in their vocal intensity. Their behaviour is sexual and combative when mating. Male often display their wings or their ability to fly well when looking for a mate. Cuckoos do not build their own nest or rear their young. The species is a
brood parasite Brood parasites are animals that rely on others to raise their young. The strategy appears among birds, insects and fish. The brood parasite manipulates a host, either of the same or of another species, to raise its young as if it were its own ...
laying its eggs in the nests of ''
Mohoua ''Mohoua'' is a small genus of three bird species endemic to New Zealand. The scientific name is taken from ''mohua'' – the Māori name for the yellowhead.''"Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds"; Volume 7'', edited by Peter ...
'' species mostly – whiteheads (''M. albicilla'') in the
North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
and yellowheads (''M. ochrocephala'') and brown creepers (''M. novaeseelandiae'') in the
South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...
. They also lay in robin (''Petroica australis longpipes) and'' tomtit (''Petroica macrocephala toitoi'') nests. The eggs hatch before those of the host and the young chicks eject the eggs of the host. Long-tailed cuckoo chicks are able to mimic the calls of their host's chicks.


Feeding

Long-tailed cuckoo eat mostly insects. They also eat bird eggs and nestling birds, adult birds as large as sparrows,
New Zealand bellbird The New Zealand bellbird (''Anthornis melanura''), also known by its Māori names korimako, makomako, and kōmako, is a passerine bird endemic to New Zealand. It has greenish colouration and is the only living member of the genus ''Anthornis''. T ...
s and thrushes, and lizards. They occasionally eat fruit and seeds. Young birds are fed insects by their host parents. Long-tailed cuckoo hardly ever forage on the ground however they do forage and the top of trees or in shrubs. Foraging is mainly done at night.


Predators

Long-tailed cuckoo are an at risk species in New Zealand and are very uncommon. Predators include rats and stoats.


In culture

Māori believed that the arrival of long-tailed cuckoos indicated that it was time to plant sweet potato or kumara, and that their departure meant it was time to harvest them.


References

*Davies, N. (2000). ''Cuckoos, Cowbirds and Other Cheats''. T & A D Poyser, London, {{Taxonbar, from=Q1269217 Cuculidae Birds of New Zealand Birds of the Pacific Ocean Birds described in 1787 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by Anders Sparrman