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13

Black-eared Cuckoo

(Chalcites [Chrysococcyx] osculans)
Size: 19-21 cm
Weight: 25-38 g
Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Black-eared Cuckoo at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Black-eared Cuckoo (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, QLD, June 2019]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a Black-eared Cuckoo (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, November 2021]

Near-lateral view of a Black-eared Cuckoo in fresh plumage; note the buff tint (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, QLD, June 2019]

Near-lateral view of a Black-eared Cuckoo (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, QLD, June 2019]

Near-lateral view of a Black-eared Cuckoo in fresh plumage; note the buff tint (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, QLD, June 2019]

Lateral view of a Black-eared Cuckoo in fresh plumage; note the buff tint (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, QLD, June 2019]

Dorsal view of a Black-eared Cuckoo (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, QLD, June 2019]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of a juvenile Black-eared Cuckoo
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2019]

Lateral view of a juvenile Black-eared Cuckoo
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Black-eared Cuckoo; more information about it and its hosts is available HERE
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2018]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: ? Mobility: Migratory Elementary unit: Solitary

Food, Diet

Like most other cuckoos, Black-eared Cuckoos are insect hunters. They take their prey from foliage and from the ground. This species has a rare taste for hairy caterpillars that most other bird species dislike.

Lateral view of a juvenile Black-eared Cuckoo drinking water
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2019]

Lateral view of a juvenile Black-eared Cuckoo drinking water
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2019]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

blecuck_20200919_2.m4a (NW NSW) Contact calls (male) © MD
blecuck_20200801.m4a (NW NSW) Contact calls (male) © MD
blecuck_20190618.m4a (SW QLD) Contact calls (male) © MD
blecuck_20200815_2.m4a (NW NSW) Contact calls (male), long sequence © MD
blecuck_20180810_2.m4a (NW NSW) Contact call (female)? © MD
blecuck_20180810_1.m4a (NW NSW) Contact call (female)?; response by Jacky Winter © MD
blecuck_20180810.m4a (NW NSW) Arrival (female)?; response by Jacky Winter © MD
blecuck_20200919.m4a (NW NSW) Various (pair) © MD
blecuck_20200815_3.m4a (NW NSW) ? (pair) © MD
blecuck_20190618_2.m4a (SW QLD) ? (female?) © MD
blecuck_20200815.m4a (NW NSW) ? © MD

More Black-eared Cuckoo sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site?
If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.