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Barred Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina lineata) Alternate name(s): "Yellow-eyed Cuckoo-shrike", "Swainson's Cuckoo-shrike" Size: 22-29 cm; wing span: 38-44 cm Body mass: 66-100 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.30-0.40

Australia: Family Group 22 Family Group 22 Table White-winged Triller Varied Triller Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike Barred Cuckoo-shrike Ground Cuckoo-shrike Sahul Cicadabird (Australasian) Yellow Oriole Olive-backed Oriole Australasian Figbird White-breasted Woodswallow Masked Woodswallow White-browed Woodswallow Black-faced Woodswallow Dusky Woodswallow Little Woodswallow Black Butcherbird Grey Butcherbird Silver-backed Butcherbird Black-backed Butcherbird Pied Butcherbird Australian Magpie Black Currawong Grey Currawong Pied Currawong Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants 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 Barred Cuckoo-shrikes are medium-sized cuckoo-shrikes. They have a black-and-white barred front from the lower chest down to the undertail coverts. Otherwise, their body plumage is all dark-grey, with black/grey (male/female) lores and eye stripes. The flight feathers have thin white leading edges. The eyes have conspicuous yellow irises. The bill, legs and feet are all dark-grey. Juveniles have an all light-grey front and an all-grey back, with black lores being the only darker part of their plumage.

Taxonomy, classification See Barred Cuckoo-shrike 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 Barred Cuckoo-shrike is available HERE . The range of the Barred Cuckoo-shrike extends from West Papua (eastern Indonesia) via New Guinea to the Solomon Islands and southwards to eastern Australia. In Australia, only Barred Cuckoo-shrikes, nominate race "lineata", are found. This race is endemic to Australia. They populate the coastal fringe and the seaside slopes of the Great Dividing Range along the North-East and East coast of the continent, from the tip of Cape York peninsula, QLD, in the North to the NSW Mid North Coast in the South. Barred Cuckoo-shrikes are found in rainforest and open forest.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "lineata" T. Morris reports seeing Barred Cuckoo-shrikes, race "lineata", at Port Macquarie, NSW, in January 2013 and at Woolgoolga, NSW, in March 2013. These sightings occurred right at the southern end of the species' range. B. Hensen reports spotting Barred Cuckoo-shrikes, race "lineata", at Lake Morris, QLD, in July 2013. R. Russell found a Barred Cuckoo-shrike, race "lineata", at Mount Molloy, QLD, in October 2013. E. Scott reports spotting a Barred Cuckoo-shrike, race "lineata", in Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, in January 2017. M. Eaton spotted a Barred Cuckoo-shrike, race "lineata", at Dayboro, QLD, in November 2019, and at Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, in December 2019. A pair was found nesting at Julatten, QLD, in October 2024.

Photos

Race "lineata"

ADULT

The sexes are very hard to tell apart in the field. Apart from small differences in the darkness of the lores (males having black lores, while those of females are dark-grey), there are no distinguishing features. In some cases, at the nest, behaviour may help.

MALE

Close-up frontal view of a male(?) Barred Cuckoo-shrike; note the overall dark appearance of the bird and, in particular, the black lores (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kuranda, QLD, June 2024]

FEMALE

Lateral view of a female(?) Barred Cuckoo-shrike - note the dark-grey lores (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Julatten, QLD, October 2024]

Sex unknown

Frontal/ventral view of a Barred Cuckoo-shrike (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lake Morris, QLD, July 2013]

Frontal/ventral view of a Barred Cuckoo-shrike (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dayboro, QLD, November 2019]

Near-frontal view of a Barred Cuckoo-shrike looking sideways (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, January 2017]

Near-lateral view of a Barred Cuckoo-shrike looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kuranda, QLD, June 2024]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a Barred Cuckoo-shrike (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, October 2013]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a Barred Cuckoo-shrike (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lake Morris, QLD, July 2013]

Lateral view of a Barred Cuckoo-shrike looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, December 2019]

Lateral view of a Barred Cuckoo-shrike (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, December 2019]

Lateral/ventral view of a Barred Cuckoo-shrike (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dayboro, QLD, November 2019]

Lateral/ventral view of a Barred Cuckoo-shrike (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dayboro, QLD, November 2019]

Lateral/ventral view of a Barred Cuckoo-shrike (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kuranda, QLD, June 2024]

Near-dorsal view of a Barred Cuckoo-shrike looking backwards (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, December 2019]

Dorsal/ventral view of a Barred Cuckoo-shrike looking backwards (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dayboro, QLD, November 2019]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of two Barred Cuckoo-shrikes - an adult (top) and an juvenile bird (bottom) that was still fed by its parents on figs from a Moreton Bay Figtree (photo courtesy of T. Morris)
[Port Macquarie, NSW, March 2013]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Jul - Feb

Eggs: 2

Incubation period: 14 - 16 days

Fledging age: 16 - 20 days

Nest building: Female & male

Incubation: Female & male

Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Basket

Material: Fine twigs, rootlets, casuarina needles, lichen, webs

Height above ground: 15 - 30 m

Lateral view of a male Barred Cuckoo-shrike on its nest (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Julatten, QLD, October 2024]

Frontal/ventral view of a male Barred Cuckoo-shrike extolling the virtues of its nest by presenting a twig to its partner (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Julatten, QLD, October 2024]

Frontal/ventral view of a male Barred Cuckoo-shrike still holding a twig, while its partner inspects the nest; note how the male's lores are blacker than the female's (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Julatten, QLD, October 2024]

Lateral view of a male Barred Cuckoo-shrike on its nest (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Julatten, QLD, October 2024]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 31 x 20 mm

Colour: Pale-blue, with brown speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Dispersive

Elementary unit: Pair/mob

Food, Diet

Adults: Rainforest fruit

Dependents: Rainforest fruit

Water intake: ?

As far as known to us, Barred Cuckoo-shrikes feed on fruit and insects.

Lateral view of a Barred Cuckoo-shrike taking a fruit (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kuranda, QLD, June 2024]

Lateral view of a Barred Cuckoo-shrike with its next meal (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, December 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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