Bird
Sahul Brush Cuckoo
Cacomantis variolosusAlso known as Brush Cuckoo
Sahul brush cuckoos are slender forest birds renowned for their persistent, descending trill that echoes through Australasian tree canopies throughout spring and summer. As obligate brood parasites, females surreptitiously deposit eggs into the cup-shaped nests of small passerines, leaving foster parents like fantails and flycatchers to raise their demanding young. Southern populations undertake extensive seasonal migrations northward, wintering across northern Australia, New Guinea, and neighboring island archipelagos.
Brood ParasiteMigratoryVocal
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyHairy caterpillars, Beetles, Grasshoppers
Predators
- Birds of prey
- Tree snakes
- Feral cats
ThreatsDeforestation, coastal development, and broadscale bushfires
HabitatsRainforests, wet sclerophyll woodlands, paperbark swamps, and mangrove fringes
Life span6–10 years
Classification
- FamilyCuculidae
- SpeciesCacomantis variolosus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Audio Tracking: Listen for a mournful series of descending whistling notes high up in leafy crowns.
- Perch Scanning: Check dead branches in the subcanopy where birds sit upright and still while hunting.
Image unavailableHost Species Host Species 
Close Relative (c) Lip Kee Yap, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-saClose Relative 
Same Family (c) Greg Miles, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
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