Cacomantis flabelliformis
The Fan-tailed Cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis) is a distinctive medium-sized cuckoo, measuring approximately 25-28 cm in length and weighing 50-80 grams. Its plumage is characterized by a slate-grey head, back, and upper breast, contrasting with a rufous-orange belly and undertail coverts. A prominent white supercilium often extends behind the eye, and the tail is long, dark, and frequently fanned, revealing white spots on the outer rectrices—a key identifying feature. The bill is black, t...
Primarily found in open woodlands, forests (both wet and dry sclerophyll), rainforest edges, scrubland, and even suburban gardens, from sea level up to moderate mountainous elevations.
Feeds predominantly on a variety of insects, with a strong preference for caterpillars (including hairy ones), as well as beetles, grasshoppers, and other arthropods, typically gleaned from foliage.
The Fan-tailed Cuckoo is a diurnal bird, generally solitary or found in pairs, often perched secretively within dense foliage. Its foraging strategy involves actively gleaning insects, particularly caterpillars, from leaves and branches, and occasionally dropping to the ground to snatch prey. Mal...
The Fan-tailed Cuckoo boasts a broad distribution across Australasia and the South Pacific. Its primary breeding and resident range encompasses eastern and southeastern Australia, including Tasmania, extending westward into South Australia and parts of Western Australia. It is also a resident bre...
Least Concern
- The "fan-tailed" part of its name comes from its habit of fanning its distinctive long tail, revealing white spots, particularly during display or alarm. - Like many cuckoos, it is an obligate brood parasite, meaning it lays its eggs in the nests of other bird species, relying on them to raise ...