Photo: Aviceda / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Cuckoos & Turacos

Sahul Brush Cuckoo

Cacomantis variolosus

Sahul Brush Cuckoo (Cacomantis variolosus) — Cuckoos & Turacos of Australia & Oceania.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 15 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Australia Birds of Indonesia Birds of Australian Capital Territory Birds of New South Wales Birds of Northern Territory Birds of Queensland Birds of Tasmania Birds of Victoria Birds of Western Australia

By family

Cuckoos of Australia Cuckoos of Indonesia Cuckoos of New South Wales Cuckoos of Northern Territory Cuckoos of Queensland Cuckoos of Western Australia

See what's near you right now

The Sahul Brush Cuckoo (Cacomantis variolosus) is a member of the Cuculidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 35.8 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae Cuckoos
Genus Cacomantis
Species variolosus

Where it lives

Eastern Wallacea, New Guinea region, northern, eastern Australia, Bismarck Arch. and Solomon Is.

Australia & Oceania

Quick facts

Weight: 35.8 g
Diet: Invertebrate-eaters
Family: Cuculidae
Order: Cuculiformes
Habitat: Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo

Cacomantis castaneiventris

Least Concern

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Sahul Brush Cuckoo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Behaviour

A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

The Sahul Brush Cuckoo is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Sahul Brush Cuckoo (Cacomantis variolosus) belongs to the Cuculidae family of the order Cuculiformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU e Wallacea, New Guinea region, n, e Australia, Bismarck Arch. and Solomon Is.

It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 35.8 g, with a wing length of about 11.5 cm and a tail of around 11.3 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 3.7 million km².

Songs & calls

Sahul Brush Cuckoo — Call

Recorded by Tom Cooney Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Sahul Brush Cuckoo?

The Sahul Brush Cuckoo is a small bird that weighs around 35.8 g.

Where does the Sahul Brush Cuckoo live?

The Sahul Brush Cuckoo is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU e Wallacea, New Guinea region, n, e Australia, Bismarck Arch. and Solomon Is, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Sahul Brush Cuckoo belong to?

The Sahul Brush Cuckoo (Cacomantis variolosus) belongs to the Cuculidae family, in the order Cuculiformes.

What does the Sahul Brush Cuckoo eat?

The Sahul Brush Cuckoo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Sahul Brush Cuckoo migrate?

The Sahul Brush Cuckoo is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Sahul Brush Cuckoo endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Sahul Brush Cuckoo make?

1 real field recording of the Sahul Brush Cuckoo — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Sahul Brush Cuckoo's range?

The Sahul Brush Cuckoo has a mapped global range of about 3.7 million km².