Red-necked Crake

A large, seemingly long-bodied warbler, mostly bright yellow with some greenish-olive above. Bill and tail long. Often perches in a flat stance, making it look banana-like. Most common in dense brush and thickets with dense tangled understory. Song is a loud and long sequence of warbled phrases and “churr” notes. Calls include harsh churring and “tchak” notes.

Medium-sized bowerbird found in a diverse range of habitats across northern Cape York and New Guinea, usually in tropical moist forest but also in shrubland, parks, and gardens. Primarily grayish brown with subtle orange wash in belly, diffuse streaking in throat and breast. Unlike in other similar bowerbirds, sexes alike. Compare larger Great Bowerbird, which has pink crest in male and lacks orange-toned underparts. Males build an impressive "U" shaped bower of sticks that they decorate with green fruit and leaves. Male song includes great variety of harsh notes and imitations of other birds.

Large cuckoo known for its loud distinctive calls. Bright red eye. Males entirely black. Females barred with varying patterns, a black crown and a strong moustache. Occurs in a variety of habitats, fairly common in suburban areas. Strong migrant, spending the middle of the year in eastern Indonesia, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, and migrating south into eastern Australia during the austral summer. Calls are very loud, often heard at night or pre-dawn, including a piercing ‘coo-eee’, and a longer ‘wirra-wirra-wirra’ (similar to a car alarm).