Long-tailed Cuckoos aka Long-tailed Koels or the Koekoeā

Please also refer to: Cercococcyx – also known as Long-tailed Cuckoos.


The Long-tailed Cuckoos (Eudynamys taitensis) – also commonly referred to as the Long-tailed Koel or the Koekoeā (in Māori) – occur naturally in New Zealand, and migrates to the islands of the western Pacific in the winter.

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Like other cuckoo, is a brood parasite, laying its eggs in the nests of other hosts – usually Yellowheads, Whiteheads and Brown Creepers from New Zealand .

Their eggs usually hatch before those of the hosts and the cuckoo chick will eject the eggs of their hosts.

It has been noted that Long-tail Cuckoo chicks are able to mimic the calls of their host’s chicks.

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Gordon Ramel

Gordon is an ecologist with two degrees from Exeter University. He's also a teacher, a poet and the owner of 1,152 books. Oh - and he wrote this website.

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