BIRD OF THE WEEK - OCTOBER 2020 WEEK 2

 GROUND CUCKOO SHRIKE

When Europeans first ventured to Australia they could be forgiven for thinking that they had entered an area of separate creation. The wildlife of this continent was pretty obviously not just a slight variation of a theme from Europe. 

Obviously they found the marsupials, the pouched mammals, Kangaroos, Possums, Koala and wombats, both startling and confusing. They considered the famous duck billed Platypus [a monotreme] so bizarre as to propose that it was in fact a hoax. 

Perhaps what is less known is the birds also caused some consternation and confusion. This confusion is still implied through the still existing names today.

As the first white naturalists attempted to describe Australia’s birds they tried to make sense of them using the avian vocabulary already established from home.

So we have birds still labouring under names such as Shrike-thrushes, Magpie-Lark and, like this week’s Bird of the Week, the Ground Cuckoo-shrike.

The Ground Cuckoo-shrike is a striking bird, atypical to the rest of its group. Now that is not to say that the others are not striking just that the Ground is atypical.

The other Cuckoo shrikes, found not only in Australia but in Asia and Africa as well, are found in more arboreal situations.

The Ground Cuckoo Shrike is found, amusingly according to Slater’s field guide, “in small parties walking slowly on the ground or flying or [snip] sitting on a dead branch”. So walking or flying or sitting…

Another truth is that the Ground Cuckoo shrike is difficult to find; Slater recognises that it is an ‘uncommon nomad’ so it is easier to show people where it was rather than where it is….

Juvenile Ground Cuckoo shrike 


This handsome species may be seen on many of our tours but perhaps none are guaranteed. Perhaps the best chance is on one of Brisbane Birding Breaks – either to the Bunya Mountains or to the Giraween area – as both offer part of a day birding in the Lockyer Valley where a small party of Ground cuckoo shrikes have been seen walking, flying or sitting!