Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Squishy start to shining moment

Cuckoos love squishing caterpillars. Little Bronze-Cuckoo (Chalcites minutillus) gets some of the insides outside before tucking it away inside in Tyto yesterday.


Didn't manage to catch less common visitor, Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (Chalcites lucidus), with prey. 


And couldn't capture worthwhile image of Fan-tailed Cuckoo busy in the same patch of cheesewood trees, so above is second shot of Shining, thus turning failure into a shining moment. 
Click pix to enlarge 

-
Labels: , ,

2 comments:

  1. geoff from WarragulJune 24, 2011 at 10:28 AM

    I picked up one of these that crashed into a window in Brisbane earlier this year and wondered which one it was. What do you use to distinguish Shining from Little from Gould's Bronze Cuckoos?
    I thought mine was a Gould's from the pictures but after consulting the maps settled for a Little BC.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tyto TonyJune 25, 2011 at 11:34 AM

    Hi Geoff: Shining much greener down back; slightly larger than Gould's (very bronze about neck and back) and LB (paler than G).

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Young Bazas stretching out before first flights

Severe thunder storm shaking Townsville overnight did no damage to thriving Pacific Baza family of four in centre of Pallarenda park. Latest...