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13

Little Bronze-Cuckoo

(Chalcites [Chrysococcyx] minutillus)
Alternate name(s): "Rufous-breasted Bronze-Cuckoo"; race russatus: "Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo"
Size: 14-15 cm
Weight: 15-20 g

Similar
species

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

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Little Bronze-Cuckoo at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "minutillus"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Little Bronze-Cuckoo; note the red eye-ring (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, June 2018]

Near-lateral view of a male Little Bronze-Cuckoo (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[McMinns Lagoon, near Darwin, NT, September 2018]

Near-lateral view of a male Little Bronze-Cuckoo with its tail fanned
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, August 2014]

Lateral view of a male Little Bronze-Cuckoo (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, June 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a male Little Bronze-Cuckoo (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, June 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a male Little Bronze-Cuckoo
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, August 2014]

Dorsal view of a male Little Bronze-Cuckoo, with its head turned, thereby showing clearly the characteristic red eye-ring
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Bird Billabong, Adelaide River, Mary River NP, Top End, NT, November 2019]

Close-up ventral view of a male Little Bronze-Cuckoo (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[McMinns Lagoon, near Darwin, NT, September 2018]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Little Bronze-Cuckoo; note the grey eye-ring
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, August 2014]

Frontal view of a female Little Bronze-Cuckoo (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Coconut Grove, Darwin, NT, August 2020]

Near-frontal view of a female Little Bronze-Cuckoo (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Coconut Grove, Darwin, NT, August 2020]

Near-frontal view of a female Little Bronze-Cuckoo; this bird was observed adopting a cryptic stance for an extended period of time (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Coconut Grove, Darwin, NT, August 2020]

Near-lateral view of a female Little Bronze-Cuckoo (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Coconut Grove, Darwin, NT, August 2020]

Close-up lateral view of a female Little Bronze-Cuckoo (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, August 2019]

Lateral view of a female Little Bronze-Cuckoo (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, July 2012]

Lateral view of a female Little Bronze-Cuckoo
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, August 2014]

Race "barnardi"

ADULT

MALE

Near-dorsal view of a male Little Bronze-Cuckoo in dense bushland
[Wetlands of Capricorn Resort, Yeppoon, QLD, July 2009; see credits page for details]

Race "russatus"

This race is also called "Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo".

ADULT

MALE

Frontal/ventral view of a male Little Bronze-Cuckoo, race "russatus"; note the red eye-rings and the russet breast
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Daintree River, QLD, November 2019]

Near-frontal view of a male Little Bronze-Cuckoo looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Daintree River, QLD, July 2018]

Near-frontal view of a male Little Bronze-Cuckoo (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Townsville Common, QLD, July 2020]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a male Little Bronze-Cuckoo (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Daintree River, QLD, November 2019]

Near-lateral view of a male Little Bronze-Cuckoo looking backwards (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Townsville Common, QLD, July 2020]

Close-up lateral portrait of a male Little Bronze-Cuckoo; note the rufous fringes to the flight feathers that are characteristic for this race (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, July 2007]

Dorsal view of a male Little Bronze-Cuckoo, race "russatus" (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Daintree River, QLD, July 2018]

FEMALE

Lateral view of a female Little Bronze-Cuckoo, race "russatus" (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Cairns, QLD, June 2013]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: ? Mobility: Migratory Elementary unit: Solitary

Amongst others, Little Bronze-Cuckoos host on Green-backed Gerygones.

Frontal/ventral view of a dependent juvenile Little Bronze-Cuckoo (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[East Point Reserve, Darwin, NT, June 2021]

Lateral/ventral view of a dependent juvenile Little Bronze-Cuckoo with one of its hosts/"parents", a Green-backed Gerygone (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[East Point Reserve, Darwin, NT, June 2021]

Food, Diet

Like most other small cuckoos, Little Bronze-Cuckoos are insect hunters. They take their prey from foliage and from the ground.

Near-lateral view of a male Little Bronze-Cuckoo with its prey a small caterpillar (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Daintree River, QLD, November 2019]

Female Little Bronze-Cuckoo with its prey, a caterpillar that it has just beaten to a pulp
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, August 2019]

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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