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White-bellied Cuckoo-shrikeAlternate name(s): "Papuan Cuckoo-shrike", "Little Cuckoo-shrike", "Swainson's Cuckoo-shrike", "White-breasted Cuckoo-shrike" ![]() Size: 26-28 cm Weight: 55-95 g |
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Similar |
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Photos |
Race "robusta"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Frontal view of a male(?) White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike checking
out the photographer; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 3
October 2015
[Pilliga scrub,
near Coonabarabran, NSW, October 2015]
Lateral view of a male(?) White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike; this is the bird whose
calls were recorded
on 3 October 2015
[Pilliga scrub,
near Coonabarabran, NSW, October 2015]
Dorsal view of a male(?) White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike - this is the bird whose
call was recorded
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, April 2014]
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FEMALE |
Frontal view of a female(?) White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, September 2012]
Near-frontal view of a female(?) White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, September 2012]
Near-lateral view of a female(?) White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, September 2012]
Female(?) White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike "shuffling" its wings,
thereby showing its underwing pattern
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, September 2012]
Race "artamoides"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Frontal view of a male White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike; note the
black lores and the white arch behind the eye
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, near Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2018]
Near-lateral view of a male White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of M. Windeyer)
[Warrumbungle NP,
NSW, April 2016]
Near-lateral/ventral view of a male White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of
V. Collins)
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, July 2020]
Lateral view of a male(?) White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, January 2006]
Near-dorsal view of a male(?) White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, January 2006]
Race "hypoleuca"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Frontal view of a male White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike; note the
black lores (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, July 2013]
Lateral view of a male White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]
Near-dorsal view of a male White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Palmerston, NT, August 2018]
Dorsal view of a male White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, March 2013]
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FEMALE |
Frontal view of a female White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike; note the
grey lores (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, July 2014]
Frontal view of a female White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]
Near-frontal view of a female White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]
Lateral view of a female White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike;
note the grey, rather than black, lores
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, July 2018]
Lateral view of a female White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]
Lateral/ventral view of a female White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, July 2020]
Near-dorsal view of a female White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, July 2014]
Dorsal view of a female White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, July 2014]
Race "apsleyi"
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ADULT |
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FEMALE |
Lateral view of a female White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike; note the
grey lores (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Wurrumiyanga, Bathurst Island, NT, September 2016]
Race "oriomo"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Near-frontal view of a male White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike;
note the black lore and the white back of the eye-ring
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Port Douglas, QLD, May 2022]
Near-frontal view of a male White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lakefield NP, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]
Near-lateral view of a male White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
launching itself upwards
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Port Douglas, QLD, May 2022]
Near-lateral/ventral view of a male White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Port Douglas, QLD, May 2022]
Lateral view of a male White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Iron Range NP, Cape York peninsula, QLD, December 2018]
Lateral view of a male White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lakefield NP, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a male White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Jardine River, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]
Dorsal view of a male White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike looking sideways
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Iron Range NP, Cape York peninsula, QLD, December 2018]
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FEMALE |
Near-lateral view of a female White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike;
note the grey lore and the grey back of the eye-ring
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Musgrave Roadhouse, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a female(?) White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike;
note the grey back of the eye-ring
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lakefield NP, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]
Dorsal view of a female White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike looking sideways
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Port Douglas, QLD, May 2022]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Dorsal view of an immature White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike looking sideways;
note the white-fringed flight feathers
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mareeba, QLD, August 2020]
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Breeding information |
Breeding season: Aug - Jan | Eggs: 2 - 3 | Incubation period: 21 - 22 days | Fledging age: ca. 21 days |
The breeding season of White-bellied Cuckoo-shrikes depends on geographic latitude. The period listed in the table above applies mostly to the SE of the continent. Given the right conditions, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrikes can breed from about June to March.
Nest building: Male & female | Incubation: Male & female | Dependent care: Male & female |
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Basket | Material: Bark strips, straw, bound with spider webs | Height above ground: 6 - 10 m |
Nests of White-bellied Cuckoo-shrikes are constructed on the angle of a fork. They are rather shallow, small baskets, often shaped flat as a saucer, and sometimes quite rudimentary affairs (similar to the nests of Tawny Frogmouths).
White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike on its nest in an
eucalypt tree;
this nest was found to be close to a
Magpie-lark's
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, November 2017]
White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike on its nest, now seen at a
different angle (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, November 2017]
White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike on its nest; note how the
bird is much bigger than the nest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[East Point Reserve, Darwin, NT, October 2020]
White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike nest in a
casuarina
(photo courtesy of M. Windeyer)
[Warrumbungle NP,
near Coonabarabran, NSW, November 2017]
White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike nest seen at a different
angle, now with both owners in attendance
(photo courtesy of M. Windeyer)
[Warrumbungle NP,
near Coonabarabran, NSW, November 2017]
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Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size: 30 x 22 mm | Colour: Grey, with darker brown speckles | Shape: Tapered oval |
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Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Territorial? | Mobility: Locally nomadic | Elementary unit: Pair/family clan |
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Food, Diet |
Like all members of the Coracina family known to us, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrikes hunt small animals, up to the size of a Praying Mantis or a centipede, from low perches.
White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike with its (unidentified) prey
[Timmallallie NP,
Pilliga scrub,
NSW, December 2017]
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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.
whbcshr_20151003.mp3 |
robusta (NW NSW) |
Contact calls | © MD | |
whbcshr_20181112_4.m4a |
artamoides (NW NSW) |
Contact call (male) | © MD | |
whbcshr_20181112_5.m4a |
artamoides (NW NSW) |
Contact call (male) | © MD | |
whbcshr_20151021_2.m4a |
artamoides (NW NSW) |
Contact call & departure | © MD | |
whbcshr_20200719.m4a |
artamoides (NW NSW) |
Warning/departure (pair?) | © MD | |
whbcshr_20151021.m4a |
artamoides (NW NSW) |
Interacting | © MD | |
whbcshr_20200719_2.m4a |
artamoides (NW NSW) |
Various (+ Fuscous Honeyeater) | © MD | |
whbcshr_pb_20180619.m4a |
hypoleuca (Top End, NT) |
Contact call | © PB | |
whbcshr_pb_20190709.m4a |
hypoleuca (Top End, NT) |
Contact call | © PB | |
whbcshr_pb_20230521.mp3 |
hypoleuca (Top End, NT) |
Contact call (adult) + begging calls (immature) | © PB |
More White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.