Listen to the Channel-billed cuckoo
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the Channel-billed cuckoo
The Channel-billed cuckoo is a bird in the family Cuculidae (order Cuculiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults weigh around 684 g.
What does the Channel-billed cuckoo sound like?
Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round. Listening for both helps with identification.
The recordings here are labelled as song, call and flight call. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
The channel-billed cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae) is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is monotypic within the genus Scythrops. The species is the largest brood parasite in the world, and the largest cuckoo.
It is found in Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia; additionally, it is vagrant in New Caledonia and New Zealand. The species is migratory over part of its range. There are three subspecies, one migratory, the other two resident. The species is listed as least concern by the IUCN.
More from the family Cuculidae
Common cuckoo
Cuculus canorus
Great spotted cuckoo
Clamator glandarius
Greater coucal
Centropus sinensis
Common hawk-cuckoo
Hierococcyx varius
Yellow-billed cuckoo
Coccyzus americanus
Indian cuckoo
Cuculus micropterus
Lesser coucal
Centropus bengalensis
Guira cuckoo
Guira guira
Sirkeer malkoha
Taccocua leschenaultii
Large hawk-cuckoo
Hierococcyx sparverioides
African cuckoo
Cuculus gularis
Klaas's cuckoo
Chrysococcyx klaas
Frequently asked questions
What does a Channel-billed cuckoo sound like?
You can hear 2 recordings of the Channel-billed cuckoo on this page, including its song, call and flight call. Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round.
Is the Channel-billed cuckoo endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Channel-billed cuckoo as “least concern”.
What family does the Channel-billed cuckoo belong to?
The Channel-billed cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae) belongs to the family Cuculidae in the order Cuculiformes.
Sources & credits
- Song by James Ray – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Call, flight call, song · Faulconbridge, Blue Mountains City Council, New South… by James Ray – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q616692 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Channel-billed cuckoo – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Aviceda – CC BY-SA 3.0