The channel-billed cuckoos arrived early this year. One flew overhead near Boonah a few days ago. Many have settled on the mountain by now. You will know that they are there as they usually make their presence felt by loud raucous calls (not sounding anything at all like ‘cuck-oo: in fact none of our Australian cuckoos sound like that). The Queensland Museum staff sometimes receive phone calls about toucans, and while the bill of the channel-bill is actually nowhere near toucan-size it certainly does look ridiculously large. They come down each summer from north Queensland, New Guinea or southeast Asia where they have been over-wintering, and the females seek out the nests of crows and other large birds in which to slyly lay their eggs. A common sight in late spring and summer is a channel-bill streaking across the sky pursued by several crows (but I am told this is often a male while the female quickly slips back to an unguarded nest). Article kindly supplied by Ronda Green, BSc(Hons) PHD Araucaria Tours
