Cuckoos and their toxic prey – ‘urticated’ inside and out
Cuckoos can stomach toxic caterpillars, but it appears they are also impervious to being stung externally, as bird expert Colin Miskelly discovers.Read more
2017-03-27
Cuckoos, toxic caterpillars, citizen science, and cinerarias
Cuckoos are well-known for eating spiky and poisonous foods, but did you know they can eat toxic monarch caterpillars?Read more
2016-10-28
Seasonality in birds and birdwatchers
One of the characteristic sounds of spring in New Zealand is the clear, upward-slurred whistle of the shining cuckoo. Along with its long-tailed cousin, the two cuckoos are the only New Zealand forest birds that migrate away from New Zealand after breeding. This is in sharp contrast to temperate countriesRead more
2014-09-23