12 May 2023

Critter of the Week: koekoea or long-tailed cuckoo

From the collecton Critter of the Week

This week we’re talking about the koekoeā or long-tailed cuckoo (Urodynamis taitensis) – an enigmatic native bird with an elegant long tail, a screeching call and some pretty strange breeding habits.

It’s the perfect critter to celebrate International Migratory Bird Day on Saturday May 13th – the koekoeā spends winter in the Pacific Islands, returning to Aotearoa to breed in the spring.