Shining Cuckoos 2019-2020

Bird sighting information. Use this forum to report bird sightings (especially rare and unusual birds), census and field count results, and trip reports. Messages posted to this forum will also be sent as a plain text email to the BIRDING-NZ newsgroup.
SomesBirder
Posts: 1401
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 4:02 pm

Shining Cuckoos 2019-2020

Postby SomesBirder » Thu Jul 25, 2019 4:52 pm

Today at about 1:40pm, I was surprised to hear the call of a shining cuckoo whilst walking on The Terrace in Wellington City; about a ten minute walk to the north of Victoria University. This was very much a concrete jungle environment; could the call have been that of a starling mimicking the cuckoo's call?
bombaydave2
Posts: 118
Joined: Thu May 23, 2019 10:54 pm

Re: Shining Cuckoos 2019-2020

Postby bombaydave2 » Thu Jul 25, 2019 6:17 pm

I heard one last week and thought the same thing so spent some time tracking it down, and yes it was a shining cuckoo. Are these overwintering, late departing or early arrivals?
User avatar
TheBirderman
Posts: 58
Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2018 9:47 pm

Re: Shining Cuckoos 2019-2020

Postby TheBirderman » Thu Jul 25, 2019 7:57 pm

Hi everyone

My guess is overwintering, a few birds overwinter each year as I read on NZ Birds Online

Cheers
Davidthomas
Posts: 1310
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2011 10:05 am

Re: Shining Cuckoos 2019-2020

Postby Davidthomas » Thu Jul 25, 2019 8:06 pm

My workmate heard one down in Haast a week or so ago I believe. Was in the bush so unlikely to be anything else I’d have thought down there? Maybe?
User avatar
Neil Fitzgerald
Site Admin
Posts: 3637
Joined: Mon May 18, 2009 10:20 am
Location: Hamilton, New Zealand
Contact:

Re: Shining Cuckoos 2019-2020

Postby Neil Fitzgerald » Sat Aug 03, 2019 3:44 pm

Interesting that Dave saw one. It's common time for song thrush to do their shining cuckoo impression, so visual confirmation is really needed. I've not heard starlings doing anything convincing
User avatar
David Riddell
Posts: 961
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2009 3:46 pm

Re: Shining Cuckoos 2019-2020

Postby David Riddell » Sun Aug 04, 2019 9:04 am

Many years ago I remember hearing starlings doing shining cuckoo impressions, as I recall it was at least a couple of months before any cuckoos actually arrived. They had the upward slur thing down pat, but never followed it up with the downward slur, and they mixed those calls in with lots of other more usual starling noises, so there were never any real worries about misidentification.
phil hammond
Posts: 501
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:10 pm

Re: Shining Cuckoos 2019-2020

Postby phil hammond » Sun Aug 04, 2019 11:44 am

In the last week or two starlings in my Waitakeres garden have been sounding as described above by David. Catches my attention every time!!
Phil Hammond
Wrybill Birding Tours NZ
Great Birds Real Birders
User avatar
Neil Fitzgerald
Site Admin
Posts: 3637
Joined: Mon May 18, 2009 10:20 am
Location: Hamilton, New Zealand
Contact:

Re: Shining Cuckoos 2019-2020

Postby Neil Fitzgerald » Sun Aug 04, 2019 4:36 pm

Cool. I'll listen to my starlings more closely. They do make a beautiful range of sounds.
User avatar
simon.fordham
Posts: 297
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2009 3:19 pm
Contact:

Re: Shining Cuckoos 2019-2020

Postby simon.fordham » Sat Sep 14, 2019 11:45 am

East Tamaki Heights, Auckland

Heard 11.44 AM Today.
User avatar
melissab
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 2:08 pm

Re: Shining Cuckoos 2019-2020

Postby melissab » Sat Sep 14, 2019 3:34 pm

I heard my first Shining Cuckoo of the season calling on Valley View Track at Zealandia this past Wednesday (11 September). Definitely a Cuckoo call, was very loud and complete with downward slurs :-)

Return to “Bird Sightings and Alerts”