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Brush Cuckoo (Cacomantis variolosus) Alternate name(s): "Square-tailed Cuckoo" Size: 22-26 cm; wing span: 30-40 cm Body mass: 22-49 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.20-0.28

Australia: Family Group 13 Family Group 13 Table Oriental Cuckoo Pallid Cuckoo Brush Cuckoo Black-eared Cuckoo Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo Fan-tailed Cuckoo Horsefield's Bronze-Cuckoo Shining Bronze-Cuckoo Little Bronze-Cuckoo Australian Koel Channel-billed Cuckoo Pheasant Coucal Rufous Owl Powerful Owl Barking Owl Australian Boobook Eastern Barn Owl Eastern Grass Owl Australian Masked Owl Greater Sooty Owl Lesser Sooty Owl Marbled Frogmouth Tawny Frogmouth Papuan Frogmouth White-throated Nightjar Spotted Nightjar Large-tailed Nightjar Australian Owlet-nightjar Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Thumbnails page Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Brush Cuckoos are medium-sized cuckoos. The head and back are grey, while the front is fawn-grey, with faint barring. The vent and undertail coverts are buff. They have greyish-brown wings and the typical heavily barred grey-and-white undertail of many Australian cuckoo species. The eye-rings are grey. Brush Cuckoos have dark irises, a dark-grey bill and pinkish-grey legs and feet. The wings have the narrow white leading edge on the shoulders typical of many Australian cuckoo species. Juvenile Brush Cuckoos are heavily barred, both back and front. The back is rufous and dark-brown, the front is creamy-white with dark-brown. Twitcher's tip They are distinguished from Fan-tailed Cuckoos by their lighter overall appearance (both front and back), their grey eye-rings and their square, white-tipped tail without notches above.

Taxonomy, classification See Brush Cuckoo at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Brush Cuckoo is available HERE . The range of the Brush Cuckoo extends from southern Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines, via the islands of far south-eastern Asia from all of Indonesia to the Solomon Islands, to Australia. There are two races of Brush Cuckoos in Australia, both of which are migrants from the North, across the Torres Strait and Cape York peninsula. Race "dumetorum" populates the entire far North of the continent, from the Kimberley in the West, via the Top End of the NT to South of the Gulf of Carpentaria. To the East of Mt. Isa, QLD, throughout almost the entire Cape York peninsula and along the tropical North of the QLD coastal fringe race "dumetorum" overlaps with nominate race "variolosus". The range of race "variolosus" continues along the entire Australian East and South coast as far as the Melbourne, VIC, area. They also move into the Great Dividing Range and are found out to the western slopes of the range. They are not found anywhere else on the continent or in Tasmania. Brush Cuckoos are usually found in dense forest, often rainforest.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "variolosus" L. Tonnochy reports finding a Brush Cuckoo, race "variolosus", chick being raised by a pair of White-throated Honeyeaters 20 km West of Townsville, QLD, in September 2012. B. Hensen reports spotting Brush Cuckoos, race "variolosus", at St. Albans, NSW, in December 2013, in October 2017, and in December 2018. R. Plumtree reports spotting an immature Brush Cuckoo, race "variolosus", on Upper Little River Road, North Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, in April 2014. A female Brush Cuckoo was spotted at South Ensay in October 2014. In May 2014 we found a Brush Cuckoo, race "variolosus", at Bundjalung NP, on the NSW for North Coast. We also regularly find Brush Cuckoos, race "variolosus", on the western side of the Great Dividing Range, e.g. 30 km North-East of Narrabri, NSW, in April 2014 and at Bullawa Creek, 30 km East of Narrabri, NSW, in October 2014. They were also found to be present in Capertee NP, near Mudgee, NSW, in December 2015. M. Eaton reports finding Brush Cuckoos, race "variolosus", at Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, in November 2018. Others were found at Tyto Wetlands, Ingham, QLD, in August 2023. We found Brush Cuckoos, race "variolosus", in the Pilliga scrub in December 2018, and another at Yarrie Lake, NSW, in April 2021. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours spotted a Brush Cuckoo, race "variolosus", in Mareeba, QLD, in November 2022. Race "dumetorum" We first spotted a Brush Cuckoo, race "dumetorum", in mangroves in an intertidal wetland at East Point, Darwin, NT, in August 2014. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours reports finding a Brush Cuckoo, race "dumetorum", in Adels Grove, near Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, in December 2020. M. Eaton found a Brush Cuckoo, race "dumetorum", in Broome, WA, in July 2026.

Photos

Race "variolosus"

ADULT

PAIR

Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
Female Brush Cuckoos, right, (including barred morph) have pink or buff only on their vent and undertail (below the legs) and an otherwise grey front, whereas males have pink to buff hues up the front to various degrees, either the belly or even up to the chest.

MALE

Close-up near-frontal/ventral view of a male Brush Cuckoo (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mareeba, QLD, November 2022]

Near-frontal view of a male Brush Cuckoo looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, November 2018]

Near-lateral view of a male Brush Cuckoo (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, December 2018]

Near-lateral view of a male Brush Cuckoo; this bird was observed calling strongly in December, when other cuckoos had fallen silent (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, December 2018]

Lateral view of a male Brush Cuckoo issuing its call (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, October 2017]

FEMALE

Unbarred morphology

Near-frontal view of a female(?) Brush Cuckoo looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Tyto Wetlands, Ingham, QLD, August 2023]

Near-frontal view of a female(?) Brush Cuckoo looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Tyto Wetlands, Ingham, QLD, August 2023]

Near-lateral view of a female Brush Cuckoo; this bird was recorded issuing its calls
[Killarney SCA, NSW, February 2024]

Lateral view of a female Brush Cuckoo; this bird was recorded issuing its calls
[Killarney SCA, NSW, February 2024]

Lateral view of a female(?) Brush Cuckoo (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, November 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a female(?) Brush Cuckoo (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, November 2018]

Barred morphology

Dorsal view of a female Brush Cuckoo (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Old Coach Road, South Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, October 2014]

Rufous morphology

Near-lateral view of a female Brush Cuckoo - note the barred underparts and the rufous-edged secondaries
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, November 2018]

Near-lateral view of a female Brush Cuckoo - note the barred underparts and the rufous-edged secondaries
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, November 2018]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal view of an immature Brush Cuckoo (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, December 2018]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Brush Cuckoo (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, March 2013]

Close-up lateral view of a juvenile Brush Cuckoo (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Tyto Wetlands, Ingham, QLD, August 2023]

Lateral view of a juvenile Brush Cuckoo (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, December 2013]

Lateral view of a juvenile Brush Cuckoo (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Upper Little River Road, North Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, April 2014]

Lateral view of a juvenile Brush Cuckoo, different posture (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Upper Little River Road, North Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, April 2014]

Near-frontal view of a dependent juvenile Brush Cuckoo (photo courtesy of L. Tonnochy)
[Near Townsville, QLD, September 2012]

Lateral view of a dependent juvenile Brush Cuckoo (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, March 2008]

Lateral view of a dependent juvenile Brush Cuckoo (photo courtesy of L. Tonnochy)
[Near Townsville, QLD, September 2012]

This dependent Brush Cuckoo chick was seen being fed by a pair of White-throated Honeyeaters
(photo courtesy of L. Tonnochy)
[Near Townsville, QLD, September 2012]

As young cuckoos do, this Brush Cuckoo chick outgrew its parents, a pair of White-throated Honeyeaters, in no time
(photo courtesy of L. Tonnochy)
[Near Townsville, QLD, September 2012]

Race "dumetorum"

ADULT

FEMALE

Close-up near-frontal view of a Brush Cuckoo; note the characteristic, inconspicuous grey eye-ring - the almost invisible barring on the front indicates that this is the so-called "unbarred" morphology of a female
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Adels Grove, near Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, December 2020]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Brush Cuckoo looking towards the observer
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Adels Grove, near Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, December 2020]

Lateral view of a female Brush Cuckoo
[East Point, Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Sex unknown

Near-dorsal view of a Brush Cuckoo (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, October 2019]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Migratory

Elementary unit: Solitary

Food, Diet

Like most other cuckoos, Brush Cuckoos are insect hunters. They take their prey from foliage.

Near-lateral view of an immature female Brush Cuckoo - note the barred underparts and the rufous-edged secondaries - with its prey, a caterpillar (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, November 2018]

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.

brcuck_20240216_4.m4a	variolosus (W NSW)	Male (getting excited)	© MD
brcuck_20151202.mp3	variolosus (W NSW)	Male (excited; trills are artefacts)	© MD
brcuck_20211115.m4a	variolosus (W NSW)	Various (male); (+ Sulphur-crested Cockatoo & Striped Honeyeater)	© MD
brcuck_20221115.mp3	variolosus (NW NSW)	Various (male)	© MD
brcuck_20221115_2.mp3	variolosus (NW NSW)	? (male)	© MD
brcuck_20240216_2.m4a	variolosus (NW NSW)	Contact calls (female)	© MD
brcuck_20240120.m4a	variolosus (NW NSW)	Contact calls (female)	© MD
brcuck_20181215.m4a	variolosus (NW NSW)	Contact calls (female)	© MD
brcuck_20240216_3.m4a	variolosus (NW NSW)	Contact calls (female; long sequence)	© MD
brcuck_pb_20201008.m4a	dumetorum (Top End, NT)	Males Q&A (competing?)	© PB
brcuck_pb_20180619.m4a	dumetorum (Top End, NT)	Female (2x) + male	© PB
brcuck_20140816.mp3	dumetorum (Darwin, NT)	(Partial) contact call (female)	© MD

More Brush 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.

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