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Pallid CuckooAlternate name(s): "Grasshopper Hawk", "Harbinger-of-Spring", "Stormbird*", "Rainbird*", "Semitone-bird", "Scale-bird", "Brainfever-bird" ![]() Size: 28-34 cm Weight: 65-115 g |
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Similar |
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Photos |
Not the photos you want? Or are you after even better quality? Have a
look here .
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Frontal view of a male Pallid Cuckoo with its prey, a cricket;
note the smooth grey appearance of front and head
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Yarrie Lake, NSW, November 2018]
Close-up lateral view of a male Pallid Cuckoo
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Yarrie Lake, NSW, November 2018]
Close-up lateral view of a male Pallid Cuckoo on the ground
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Yarrie Lake, NSW, November 2018]
Lateral view of a male Pallid Cuckoo; this is the bird whose
call was
recorded on 27 July 2014
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2014]
Close-up near-dorsal view of a male Pallid Cuckoo
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2010]
Here the same Pallid Cuckoo as above issuing its loud
call
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2010]
Near-dorsal view showing a small pale patch at the back of a
male Pallid Cuckoo's head
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2011]
Willie Wagtail
was clearly not pleased by the Pallid Cuckoo's appearance
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2011]
Dorsal view of a male Pallid Cuckoo; note the dark eye-stripe
but otherwise light-grey sides of the head
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2011]
Dorsal view showing the small pale patch at the back of a
(probably male) Pallid Cuckoo's head
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, August 2016]
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FEMALE |
Light-rufous morphology
Near-frontal view of a female Pallid Cuckoo; note the dark
eye-stripe and the indication of rufous on the neck
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Between Berri and Renmark, SA, September 2018]
Lateral/ventral view of a female Pallid Cuckoo issuing its
call
(photo courtesy of
V. Collins)
[Pilliga scrub,
NSW, September 2020]
Near-dorsal view of a female Pallid Cuckoo behaving strangely,
by staying on the ground while being approached by an observer
[Yarrie Lake, NSW, October 2016]
Near-dorsal view of a female Pallid Cuckoo in flight
[Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, QLD, June 2019]
Dark-rufous morphology
Close-up frontal view of a dark-rufous morph female Pallid Cuckoo
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2023]
Close-up near-frontal view of a female Pallid Cuckoo
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2023]
Close-up near-frontal/ventral view of a female Pallid Cuckoo
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2023]
Close-up near-lateral view of a female Pallid Cuckoo
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2023]
Close-up lateral view of a female Pallid Cuckoo
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2023]
Lateral view of a female Pallid Cuckoo looking towards the observer
[Near Narrabri, NSW, September 2019]
Lateral view of a female Pallid Cuckoo
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Atkinson Dam, near Lowood, QLD, October 2019]
Lateral view of a female Pallid Cuckoo in mellow light issuing its
call
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Windorah, QLD, August 2022]
Near-dorsal view of a female Pallid Cuckoo
[Near Narrabri, NSW, September 2019]
Lateral view of a female Pallid Cuckoo moulting into its first
adult plumage
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, January 2017]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Dorsal view of an immature Pallid Cuckoo
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2017]
Frontal view of a juvenile Pallid Cuckoo
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2019]
Frontal view of a juvenile Pallid Cuckoo
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, January 2006]
Frontal view of a juvenile Pallid Cuckoo, with a
Willie Wagtail
confronting it; note the copious white on the wing coverts
characterizing this bird as immature
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2013]
Near-frontal view of a juvenile Pallid Cuckoo
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2013]
Near-frontal view of a juvenile Pallid Cuckoo
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2013]
Lateral view of a juvenile Pallid Cuckoo
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2019]
Lateral view of a juvenile Pallid Cuckoo
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2013]
Near-dorsal view of the same juvenile Pallid Cuckoo as shown above
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, January 2006]
Juvenile Pallid Cuckoo under attack from a pair of
Willie Wagtails
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2020]
Juvenile Pallid Cuckoo being knocked off its perch by a
Willie Wagtail
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2020]
White-plumed Honeyeater
making it clear to a juvenile Pallid Cuckoo that it is not welcome
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, January 2006]
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Breeding information |
As all cuckoos, Pallid Cuckoos host on smaller bird species. One potential host species is the White-plumed Honeyeater.
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Behaviour |
Social behaviour: ? | Mobility: Migratory | Elementary unit: Solitary |
Pallid Cuckoo on a power line; note the drooping wings,
which is often observed in this species
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[The Granites Gold Mine, inland NT, June 2015]
The way this Pallid Cuckoo was challenged by woodswallows,
one can tell that the species hosts on them
[Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, QLD, June 2019]
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Food, Diet |
Like most other cuckoos, Pallid Cuckoos are insect hunters. They take their prey from foliage and from the ground. This species has a taste for hairy caterpillars, which most other birds dislike.
Male Pallid Cuckoo with its prey, a cricket
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Yarrie Lake, NSW, November 2018]
Female Pallid Cuckoo with its prey, a juicy caterpillar
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Victoria Highway, NT, September 2020]
Lateral view of a Pallid Cuckoo taking off with its prey, a grasshopper
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2020]
Lateral view of a juvenile Pallid Cuckoo with its prey (which looks
like a small beetle)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2013]
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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.
palcuck_20190617.m4a |
dumetorum (SW QLD) |
Contact calls (male) | © MD | |
palcuck_20190617_3.m4a |
dumetorum (SW QLD) |
Q&A (male & female) + Rufous Songlark | © MD | |
palcuck_20190617_2.m4a |
dumetorum (SW QLD) |
Q&A (male & female) (+ Masked Woodswallows) | © MD | |
palcuck_20190617_2.m4a |
dumetorum (NW NSW) |
Various (+ White-browed Woodswallows) | © MD |
More Pallid Cuckoo sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.