March, 1956 THE S.A. ORNITHOLOGIST 9 NOTES ON CUCI(OOS IN SOUTH

By J. NEIL McGILP

In volume 15, page 118 of this journal Erhard Boehm wrote me: "Although I have (1941), the writer gave a list of ' egg­ examined hundreds of nests of potential combinations' found by him in South Aus­ fosterers of over the years I have tralia. A "cuckoo combination" is a set not been fortunate in my search for data on of eggs comprising some eggs of the right­ the breeding habits of these . The ful owner of the nest and one or more eggs only case of a cuckoo breeding which came laid by a cuckoo. The 1954 season was to my notice was that of a nestling Horsfield unusual in that generally few species of Bronze in the nest of a Chestnut-tailed Thorn­ cuckoos were seen in customary numbers, bill." Boehm also mentions that some years but several new combinations of the Hors­ ago, whilst looking at a schoolboy's egg col­ field Bronze Cuckoo (Chalcites basalis) were lection he had noticed an egg of a Pallid recorded for the first time in this State. Cuckoo with three eggs of the Yellow-throated Miner. The set had been taken in the early For many years the writer has been in­ 1920's in Mallee scrub two miles east of terested in the breeding habits of cuckoos Sutherlands. and correspondence with ornithologists in many parts of the State has yielded surpris­ It would seem, therefore, that cuckoos ing information. For instance, T. Brandon rarely breed in what might be referred to as of Wilmington, W. Cain of Port Augusta, and the North and Mid-North of . E. F. Boehm of Sutherlands, who all reside In. the Far North the writer found, over in the drier areas to the north of Adelaide, many years, that the Pallid and Horsfield have made very few observations of any of Bronze Cuckoos bred fairly well in some the cuckoos breeding in their districts. All years. The Black-eared Cuckoo bred very agree that at times, particularly in good rarely and the Fan-tailed and Golden Bronze years, some of the cuckoos are fairly Cuckoo not at all. numerous. Walter Cain writes: "I'm afraid my contribution 'will shock you-only one One would expect Naracoorte to be a cuckoo combination ... Horsfield Bronze favorable breeding area for cuckoos. How­ Cuckoo and Turquoise Wren . . . it seems ever, A. R. Attiwill writes: "This district is incredible in the years I was collecting that very poor for cuckoos and combination sets only one combination set was found." It are few and far between . . . the following will be recalled that the late Dr. Morgan species were found with an egg of the Hors­ found the same combination in 1912 at field Bronze Cuckoo: Scarlet Robin (3 eggs Kallioota (S.A. Orn., 1, (4), p. 15). on August 7, 1941); Buff-tailed Thornbill (2 eggs, October 5, 1943); Blue Wren (2 eggs, Tom Brandon writes: "I cannot make out November 7, 1943); European Goldfinch (4 why the cuckoos do not breed here, as there eggs, January 1, 1944); (2 are plenty of them about during the breeding eggs, September 30, 1944); Yellow-tailed seasons. The only cuckoos I have observed Thornbill (1 egg and 2 cuckoo's eggs, Decem­ breeding up here are the Pallid (once) and ber 28, 1946) .... Some years ago Jack Horsfield (several times). The Pallid 'set' Hood found a Fan-tailed Cuckoo's egO" in a was taken at Hotel Creek, Carriewerloo Sta­ Brown Thornbill's nest but there w~re no tion, this year. The cuckoo's egg was with eggs of the Thornbill. This is the only two eggs of the Singing . The cuckoo combination that Jack has found at only foster-parent of the Horsfield Bronze Bool Lagoon or elsewhere in South Australia. 1 have noticed is the Blue and White Wren I saw a pair of Brown-headed (Malurus leuconotus] (five times), although feeding a young just out of some years ago, when Bob Burns was here, the nest on September 19, 1950, which is the' we trod upon a nest of the Purple-backed only evidence I have of this cuckoo breeding Wren which contained three fresh eggs of in the Naracoorte district. The Black-eared the Wren and one Bronze Cuckoo's egg." Cuckoo is a very rare visitor to this locality 10 THE S.A. ORNITHOLOGIST March, 1956 and usually it is only seen at the end of is remarkable in view of its breeding so winter or early spring, with visits probably freely and exploiting many species of birds at intervals of three or four years." to rear its offspring in Eastern Australia. It would seem that cuckoos show a decided Gordon Ragless, of Marion, near Adelaide, preference for certain districts-the Murray has been very keen in hunting for evidence Mallee, "the lower reaches of the River Mur­ of cuckoos breeding in his district and in ray, the Mt, Lofty Ranges and adjacent hilly the adjacent western slopes of the Mt. Lofty country, and the Far-Northern Interior. Ranges. He writes; "The Blue Wren nests in Harry Morton, Jervois, River Murray, in­ the Happy Valley-Clarendon Ridge area and forms me that the Horsfield Bronze Cuckoo at least 50 per cent. of the nests contain an generally breeds in his district each season. egg of the Horsfield Bronze Cuckoo. The In 1954 the species was more plentiful than Eastern Whiteface is fairly rare in this usual and bred freely. Regarding the Pallid locality, only two nests having been found and Fan-tailed Cuckoos he says: "There is and these produced three combination sets. one thing I do not understand and that is The Yellow-winged Honeyeater and the why these birds, which occurred in fair Greenfinch nest freely, but so far I have not numbers in most seasons, do not now appear found a cuckoo's egg in their nests. Generally to any extent and seldom breed here. In cuckoo eggs are laid in close proximity to the last three years I have only observed one each other." "Pallid egg and that was in the nest of a The following details refer to nests of Willie . Years ago, when we first varioue foster parents found by Ragless came to Jervois, the Pallid used to breed during the 1954 season; each contained an fairly freely and nests like honeyeaters', egg (or young) of the Horsfield Bronze robins' and Trillers' would often contain a Cuckoo. Pallid combination." Morton sends an Spotted Scrub-Wren:- interesting note on the finding of a Chestnut­ August 7, Grange, S.A.; "The cuckoo's tailed Thornbill-Horsfield Bronze Cuckoo com­ egg was chipping and there was one bination set taken between Tailem Bend and recently hatched young Scrub-Wren." Naturi: "The nest was in a short, small Yellow-tailed 'I'hornbllb--; broken limb of a mallee about 2 feet from August 14" Two Wells, S.A.: "With 4 the ground. The limb was dead and a small eggs; all very heavily 'incubated." knot-hole was used as an entrance. The September 30, Eden Hills; S.A.: "Cuckoo's material used to line the hollow was grass and bark, the lining was of fur and feathers. egg very heavily incubated, 3 Thornbills' The spout of the dead limb was completely eggs fresh." blocked by the top of the nest." How did September 30, Eden Hills; "Fresh cuckoo's egg in nest from which young had re­ the cuckoo place the egg in the nest? The cently left." knot-hole was very small and perhaps the Chestnut-tailed egg was placed in the nest before the top 'Ihornbtlls-> of it was completed. September 7, Paringa, S.A.; "All eggs fresh; nest 11 feet up in Mallee III a Morton has .found a number of cuckoo small hollow limb." combinations in or around his district, and Buff-tailed Thornbill:- some do not appear to have previously been October 5, Happy Valley, S.A.; "Fresh recorded for South Australia. A particularly egg of each species; nest had a slit cut handsome set, now in the McGilp Collection, just above real entrance. Did the cuckoo was 4 eggs of the Golden-headed . do this damage?" Warbler and 1 one of the Horsfield Bronze Eastern Whiteface;- Cuckoo. September 27, Clarendon Ridge, S.A.; Morton has had little success when look­ "Two Whiteface eggs, one cuckoo, all ing for Fantailed and Black-eared Cuckoo fresh." combinations and has not found the egg of October 28: "Same nest as above. Two the Golden Bronze Cuckoo in other than the Whiteface eggs fresh, cuckoo's egg fresh; nests of the Yellow-tailed Thornbill. The one Whiteface's egg just outside of eO"g writer's experience with the last-named is the cavity." '" same as Murton's and other collectors, which September 16, Happy Valley, S.A.: "All March, 1956 THE S.A. ORNITHOLOGIST 11

eggs fresh, two Whiteface eggs. The nest the cuckoo is placed in the nest of the '"was later used by Zebra Finches." Mistletoe-, because it is a purse-like Scarlet Robin:- structure, hanging without support except November 4, Happy Valley, S.A.: "Cuckoo from the very top of the nest where it is egO" fresh; in lining of nest. No robins' attached to a slender twig. Also, when the ~d'd eggs.'" Nest destroye by WIll storm.'" sitting bird leaves the nest the entrance Blue Wren:- closes up. The egg of the cuckoo could not September 19, Clarendon Ridge, S.A.: be placed in the nest while it is being built "One egg of Blue Wren, one of cuckoo because the structure is started at the top (nearly hatching)." and the egg cavity is the last to be completed. September 27, Clarendon Ridge: "All 4 A Greenfinch hatched out a Horsfield eggs fresh." Bronze Cuckoo in a nest in a Grapefruit tree September 30, Eden Hills, S.A.: "Fresh in the writer's garden, but the nest was not egg of cuckoo in deserted wrens' nest seen until the Greenfinch was observed carry­ without eggs." ing food to the young cuckoo. The young October 26, Happy Valley, S.A.: "Two bird disappeared about a week later. wrens' eggs and one cuckoos' egg heavily With the exception of the Channel-billed incubated in egg cavity; another cuckoos' Cuckoo, all species recorded for South Aus­ egg in the lining (fresh)." tralia have been noted on Eyre Peninsula and November 4, Happy Valley: "Two wrens' Kangaroo Island, but the records are not eazs and one cuckoos' egg fresh. frequent. Cuckoos'"'''' egg al'd most 1 entica. IWIt . h an- The following list of foster-parents of other found on October 5, about half cuckoos in South Australia is based on sets a mile away." of eggs. It is a well-known fact that many November 25, Clarendon Ridge: "Three birds, in response to the incessant calling ezzs and one cuckoos' egg, very heavily of a young cuckoo, will take turns in feeding incubated.l::)..... " it. Observations of a young cuckoo being December n, Clarendon Ridge: "Con­ fed by certain birds cannot be relied upon tained only one fresh cuckoos' egg. A as an indication that they are the true foster few days later the nest had been dis­ parents. turbed and the egg was on. the ground." December 31, Clarendon Ridge: "A fresh Cuckoos and their foster parents cuckoos' egg in the lining only. The nest was deserted a few days later." in South Australia Near Teatree Gully, ten miles north-east PALLID CUCKOO of Adelaide, there is an area of virgin scrub ( pallidus) of a heathy nature which provides cover and (Rhipidura leucophrys); breeding quarters for many birds. The (Seisura inquieta); Jacky Pallid and Horsfield Bronze Cuckoo breeds Winter (Microeca fascinans); Scarlet Robin freely in this locality and many combination (Petroica multicolor} ; Hooded Robin (Mela­ sets have been found. It was not until nodryas cucullata); Rufous Whistler (Pachy­ October, 1954, after a long period of many cephala rufiventris); Magpie Lark (Grallina years during which time the writer paid cyanoleuca) ; White-winged Triller (Lalage regular visits to the area, that a combination tricolor); Masked Wood Swallow (Artamus of Mistletoe-Bird and Horsfield Bronze personatus) , White-naped Honeyeater (Meli­ Cuckoo was found. Mistletoe-Birds are threptus lunatus); Tawny-crowned Honey­ common at this place and. breed regularly. eater (Gliciphila melanops] ; Singing Honey­ In October, 1954., 16 nests were examined, eater (Meliphaga uirescens j , Yellow-faced and two (on October 10) contained heavily Honeyeater (ill.' chrysops) ; White-eared incubated eggs of the Mistletoe-Bird (2) and Honeyeater (M. leucotis} ; Purple-gaped cuckoo (1). A week later the area was again Honeyeater (M. cratitia) ; Yellow-plumed visited and two fresh eggs of the cuckoo Honeyeater (jlt!. ornata) ; White-plumed were found in nests that had been examined Honeyeater (M. penicillata); Yellow-winged the previous week. Honeyeater (LVIeliornis novaehollandiae) ; It is difficult to imagine how the egg of Noisy Miner (iVIyzantha melanocephala) ; 12 THE S.A. ORNITHOLOGIST March, 1956

Yellow-throated Miner (M. [lauigula}; Dusky [Aphelocephala leucopsis) ; Brown Thorn­ Miner (M. obscura) ; Little Wattle-Bird (An­ bill ( pusilla) ; Red-tailed Thorn­ thochaera chrysoptera) ; Red W\lttle·Bird hill (A pusilla) ; Chestnut-tailed Thornhill (A. carunculata}; Spiny-cheeked Honey­ (A. uropygialis); Dark Thornbill (A. ire­ eater (Acanthagenys rufogularis); Goldfinch dalei) ; Buff-tailed Thornbill (A. reguloides) ; (Carduelis carduelis}; Blackbird (Turdus Yellow-tailed Thornbill (A. chrysorrhoa) ; merula}, Spotted Scrub Wren (Sericornis maculatus) ; Striated Grass Wren (Amytornis striatus); FAN-TAILED CUCKOO Little Grassbird (Megalurus gramineus); ( pyrrhophanus prionurus) Golden-headed Fantail Warbler (Cisticola Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla) ; exilis}; Superb Blue Wren (Malurus cyan Striated Thornbill (A. lineata} ; Chestnut­ eus) ; Turquoise Wren (M. callainusl ; Blue tailed Thornbill (A. uropygialis) ; Superb and White Wren (M. cyanotus); Purple­ Blue Wren (Malurus cyaneus) ; Spotted backed Wren (M. assimilis; Tawny-crowned Scrub-Wren (Sericornis maculatus) ; White­ Honeyeater (Gliciphila melanops) ; Yellow­ hrowed Scrub-Wren (S. frontalis). winged Honeyeater (Meliornis nouae-hollan­ BLACK-EARED CUCKOO diae) ; Mistletoe-Bird (Dicaeum hirtuulina­ (Misocalius osculans) ceum) ; (Zosterops lateralis) ; Spotted Scrub-Wren (Sericomis macula­ Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis; Greenfinch tus); ( brunneus); (Chloris chloris), Rusty Field Wren ( isabellinus). GOLDEN BRONZE CUCKOO HORSFIELD BRONZE CUCKOO . (Chalcites plagosus) (Chalcites basalis) Welc"ome SwalloW' (Hirundo neoxena); Yellow-tailed Thornbill (Acanthiza chrys­ (Rhipidura flabellifera); Jacky orrhoa). Winter (Microeca [ascinans}; Scarlet Rohin (Petroica multicolor); Red-capped Robin (P. CHANNEL-BILLED CUCKOO goodenooii) ; Hooded Robin (Melanodryas (Scythrops nouae-hollatuliae] cucullata); White-fronted Chat (Epthianura The only record of this cuckoo having albijrons) ; Crimson Chat (E.. tricolor); bred in South Australia was made hy the Orange Chat (E. aurijrons} ; Brown late L. Reese, of Miranda, near the Queens­ (Smicrornis breoirostris); Eastern Whiteface land border. He found a young bird in the nest of the Black-backed Magpie (Gymnorh'ina tibicen) .

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