The black-eared cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. Found across Australia, it migrates to eastern Indonesia and southern New Guinea. They are usually observed by themselves or in a pair as they don't raise their own young, rather they leave eggs in another species nest to be raised by host. This species was formerly placed in the genus Chrysococcyx.
Region
Australia and southern New Guinea
Typical Environment
Breeds widely in inland and southern Australia, favoring mallee and eucalypt woodlands, acacia (mulga) shrublands, and chenopod scrub. It frequents open woodland edges, belts of trees along watercourses, and lightly timbered pastoral country. During the non-breeding season some individuals disperse north and west, reaching southern New Guinea and the Lesser Sundas. It generally avoids dense rainforest and treeless deserts, selecting habitats with scattered trees and shrubs for foraging and concealment.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A small, elusive bronzecuckoo, the black-eared cuckoo is a brood parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of smaller passerines, leaving hosts to raise its young. It breeds across much of arid and semi-arid Australia, then some birds move to southern New Guinea and eastern Indonesia outside the breeding season. Its taxonomy has shifted, with many authorities now placing it in Chalcites (formerly Chrysococcyx).
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
direct flight with short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Mostly seen alone or in pairs. It does not build a nest; instead, females lay single eggs in the nests of small passerines, leaving hosts to incubate and rear the chick. Courtship is quiet and inconspicuous, and adults remain hidden within foliage when disturbed.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Gives a soft series of thin, mournful whistles, often a repeated two- or three-note phrase. Calls carry surprisingly far in open country and are more often heard than the bird is seen.
