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Ground Cuckoo-shrikeAlternate name(s): "Ground Jay", "Long-tailed Jay" ![]() Size: 34-37 cm Weight: 120-155 g |
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Photos |
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ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Frontal view of an adult Ground Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Connolly Dam Road, Warwick, QLD, April 2021]
Frontal/ventral view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike perched in a
eucalypt;
Ground Cuckoo-shrikes have a strong preference for sitting on
dead branches
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2019]
Frontal/ventral view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2016]
Frontal/ventral view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2016]
Frontal/ventral view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike stretching one of its
wings, thereby showing its underwing pattern and fanning its tail
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2016]
Frontal/ventral view of three Ground Cuckoo-shrikes in a
Casuarina tree
[Near Narrabri, NSW, July 2007]
Now only two remain...
[Near Narrabri, NSW, July 2007]
Near-frontal view of an adult Ground Cuckoo-shrike on a
paddock
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2015]
Near-frontal/ventral view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike calling;
this is the birds whose
calls were recorded on 23 January 2016
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2016]
Near-lateral view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Connolly Dam Road, Warwick, QLD, April 2021]
Near-lateral view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2019]
Near-lateral view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Connolly Dam Road, Warwick, QLD, April 2021]
Near-lateral view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Connolly Dam Road, Warwick, QLD, April 2021]
Near-lateral/ventral view of an adult Ground Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2019]
Lateral view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2019]
Lateral/ventral view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike perched high up in a
eucalypt
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2016]
Lateral view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike on a paddock
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2015]
Lateral view of an adult "sentry" Ground Cuckoo-shrike on a fence
calling
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2015]
Lateral view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike on a paddock issuing a
call
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2015]
Close-up near-dorsal view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike crossing a
road
(photo courtesy of
V. Collins)
[Near Boggabri, NSW, June 2021]
Near-dorsal view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike; note the characteristic
bifurcated tail
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Connolly Dam Road, Warwick, QLD, April 2021]
Near-dorsal view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike; note the characteristic
bifurcated tail
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Connolly Dam Road, Warwick, QLD, April 2021]
Dorsal view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike looking sideways, with its
inner eyelid closed (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Connolly Dam Road, Warwick, QLD, April 2021]
Dorsal view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike on a
paddock
calling
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2015]
Although partly obscured, here one can see the pronounced
spread of the forked tail into two fans when landing
[Near Narrabri, NSW, July 2007]
Frontal/ventral view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike in flight
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2019]
Lateral view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike just after take-off
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2014]
Lateral/ventral view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike in flight
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2015]
One of four (of a group of five) Ground Cuckoo-shrikes in flight;
click on image to see four birds
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2018]
Dorsal view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike banking to land
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2019]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Frontal view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike; based on the inconspicuous
facial mask, this is probably an immature bird; it is heard most
prominently in the
sound recording obtained on 2 March 2016
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2016]
Near-frontal/ventral view of an immature Ground Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2018]
Near-lateral/ventral view of an immature Ground Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2018]
Two immature Ground Cuckoo-shrikes; these birds, although they
have immature plumage
(rather than juvenile), were still begging their parents for
food
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2018]
Lateral/ventral view of an adult Ground Cuckoo-shrike, top,
with an immature bird, bottom; note the darker irises and the
less pronounced facial mask of the immature bird
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2016]
Near-lateral view of a juvenile Ground Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Connolly Dam Road, Warwick, QLD, April 2021]
Near-lateral view of a juvenile Ground Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Connolly Dam Road, Warwick, QLD, April 2021]
Lateral view of a juvenile Ground Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Connolly Dam Road, Warwick, QLD, April 2021]
Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Ground Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Connolly Dam Road, Warwick, QLD, April 2021]
Adult, back, and near-dorsal view of a juvenile Ground Cuckoo-shrike
looking backwards (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Connolly Dam Road, Warwick, QLD, April 2021]
Dorsal view of a juvenile Ground Cuckoo-shrike looking backwards
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Connolly Dam Road, Warwick, QLD, April 2021]
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Breeding information |
Breeding season: Jul - Feb | Eggs: 2 - 3 | Incubation period: ca. 25? days | Fledging age: ca. 28? days |
Like some other bird species, Ground Cuckoo-shrikes are known to use helpers, possibly last season's offspring, when feeding their young.
Nest building: Female & male | Incubation: Female & male | Dependent care: Female, male & helpers |
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Basket | Material: Root fibres, grass stems, bark fibre, webs; fur and wool lining | Height above ground: 2 - 25 m |
Ground Cuckoo-shrike nests are larger and more obvious than the nests of other species of cuckoo-shrikes.
Pair of Ground Cuckoo-shrikes on a thick fork in a rough-barked
Acacia salicina
tree checking out its suitability for a nest site; 3 helpers, who
had arrived with them remained in the background
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2016]
Pair of Ground Cuckoo-shrikes on a thick fork in a rough-barked
Acacia salicina
tree checking out its suitability for a nest site; 3 helpers, who
had arrived with them remained in the background
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2016]
Female(?) Ground Cuckoo-shrike "test-sitting" the nest site
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2016]
Female(?) Ground Cuckoo-shrike getting up from the nest site,
which was probably "proposed" by the male(?) on the left
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2016]
This is the fork the Ground Cuckoo-shrikes were testing
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2016]
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Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size: 34 x 24 mm | Colour: Olive-brown, with brown speckles | Shape: Tapered oval |
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Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Communal | Mobility: Nomadic | Elementary unit: Family clan |
Aerial combat between two Ground Cuckoo-shrikes - one was
eventually chased away by the other
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2018]
Ground Cuckoo-shrikes are vociferous birds that like to always keep in contact with their mates by frequently calling (cf. recordings below).
After a successful breeding season Ground Cuckoo-shrikes usually
come in small family groups of up to about 6-8 birds
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2015]
Family of 5 Ground Cuckoo-shrikes on a levee, from where they also
went to forage in the grass
of a paddock
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2015]
Family of four Ground Cuckoo-shrikes in a Casuarina tree
[Near Narrabri, NSW, July 2007]
We have observed a pair of Ground Cuckoo-shrikes hiding in the shade of tree trunks to avoid detection by a family of local Australian Magpies. When/if detected, they split up, only to come together again later and start hiding again. If/when undetected, they started foraging on the ground.
Ground Cuckoo-shrikes are one of the bird species that deploy
"sentries", while the rest of the clan is foraging on the ground;
this one has chosen a picket as its vantage point, from where
it called out
to the others on the ground frequently and vociferously
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2015]
Ground Cuckoo-shrike sentry on a high perch
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2018]
Ground Cuckoo-shrike sentry on a low perch; can you spot the bird?
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2018]
A pair of Ground Cuckoo-shrikes observed by us hiding successfully
inside the territory of a local family of Australian Magpies (overview;
the birds are in the shade behind the trunk of the dead tree)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2019]
A pair of Ground Cuckoo-shrikes observed by us hiding successfully
inside the territory of a local family of Australian Magpies
(the birds are in the shade behind the trunk of the dead tree;
click on image for close-up view)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2019]
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Food, Diet |
Like all members of the Coracina family known to us, Ground Cuckoo-shrikes hunt small animals, up to the size of a Praying Mantis or a centipede, from low perches.
Ground Cuckoo-shrikes foraging in fringe growth by the side of a
road; the one in
front is just gobbling up a morsel of food
(photo courtesy of
V. Collins)
[Near Boggabri, NSW, June 2021]
Lateral view of a Ground Cuckoo-shrike on a
paddock
with its prey, probably a dried-up dead worm
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2015]
Three Ground Cuckoo-shrikes foraging on a
paddock;
note the bird on the left, which was observed twice spreading
its wings, as if to stun its prey in a way similar to a
Black-necked Stork
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2018]
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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.
grcuck_20170805.m4a | (NW NSW) | Contact calls (pair in-flight) | © MD | |
grcuck_20160128.mp3 | (NW NSW) | Contact calls (clan in-flight) | © MD | |
grcuck_20160123_6.m4a | (NW NSW) | Contact calls(?) | © MD | |
grcuck_20160123_7.mp3 | (NW NSW) | Contact calls(?) | © MD | |
grcuck_20150417_2.mp3 | (NW NSW) | Q&A | © MD | |
grcuck_20151205.mp3 | (NW NSW) | Sentry's calls | © MD | |
grcuck_20150417.mp3 | (NW NSW) | Warning/departure | © MD | |
grcuck_20150816.m4a | (NW NSW) | Various (family clan) | © MD | |
grcuck_20160302.mp3 | (NW NSW) | Various (family of 4) | © MD | |
grcuck_20160123_3.m4a | (NW NSW) | Various | © MD | |
grcuck_20160820.mp3 | (NW NSW) | Various | © MD | |
grcuck_20160123_4.m4a | (NW NSW) | Various | © MD | |
grcuck_20160123.m4a | (NW NSW) | Various | © MD | |
grcuck_20160123_2.mp3 | (NW NSW) | ? | © MD | |
grcuck_20160123_5.mp3 | (NW NSW) | ? | © MD | |
grcuck_20160123_8.m4a | (NW NSW) | ? | © MD |
More Ground Cuckoo-shrike sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.