Wednesday, June 23, 2004

The pheasant coucal

I thought when we got new neighbours who had two rottweilers late last year that we wouldn't be seeing this bird again. I'd only sighted it twice but it's pretty spectacular.

Then yesterday, in the afternoon, when Lauren & I were on our way down the back driveway to go for a walk along the lagoon, we heard a rustling & saw Centropus phasianinus  running up a tree. It flies, but doesn't seem to like it. Prefers to hop from low branch to low branch. Couldn't see it when we came back; but a little later, when I was outside having a cigarette, it hopped up from the ground & onto the pool fence, hopped along that & then disappeared into the other neighbours' place.

It's the only Australian cuckoo that doesn't lay its eggs in other birds' nests.

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