Channel-billed Cuckoo Scythrops novaehollandiae

The Channel-billed Cuckoo is native to Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia and can be found as a vagrant in New Zealand and nearby Pacific Islands. Unlike other large ground cuckoos, it is arboreal and a strong flier. In flight it is raptor-like, but, unlike raptors, females are smaller than males. It is the only species in its genus but there are 3 subspecies.

It is one of the largest cuckoos in the world and the largest brood parasite, the hosts typically being large (crow-sized) birds like Currawong, Raven, Australian Magpie, butcherbirds. Male Channel-billed Cuckoos typically reach lengths of 60-65cm (the Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo is said to reach 65-70cm long).