Chalcites osculans
The Black-eared Cuckoo (*Chalcites osculans*) is a captivating, if often elusive, brood parasite endemic to Australia and parts of New Guinea and Indonesia. Measuring approximately 18-20 cm in length, this small, slender cuckoo is instantly recognizable by its distinctive plumage: a dull olive-brown back and crown sharply contrasting with warm, rich rufous-cinnamon underparts. Its most striking field mark is the prominent black patch extending from behind the eye to cover the ear coverts, oft...
Found in open eucalypt woodlands, mallee, acacia scrub, and riparian forests, typically at lower to moderate elevations.
Feeds predominantly on insects, with a strong preference for caterpillars, including hairy species often avoided by other birds, which it gleans from foliage.
The Black-eared Cuckoo is primarily diurnal, often detected by its distinctive, melancholy call rather than its shy presence. It forages by gleaning insects, particularly hairy caterpillars, from foliage, moving deliberately through the mid-canopy or understory. Males establish territories throug...
The Black-eared Cuckoo is an intra-Australian migrant, with a significant breeding range across southeastern and eastern Australia, extending from southeastern Queensland through New South Wales, Victoria, and into southeastern South Australia. Disjunct breeding populations also occur in southwes...
Least Concern
- The Black-eared Cuckoo is the only bronze-cuckoo species with entirely rufous underparts, a key identification feature. - It is a specialist predator of hairy caterpillars, which possess defensive bristles and toxins that deter most other bird species. - Despite its name, its black ear patch is...