About Cacomantis flabelliformis (Latham, 1802)
The fan-tailed cuckoo, scientifically named Cacomantis flabelliformis (Latham, 1802), measures approximately 25–27 cm (9.8–10.6 in) in length. This species has a slate-grey head, back and wings, rufous underparts, and a tail barred black and white. A distinctive yellow orbital ring surrounds its eye, a feature that sets it apart from two related smaller cuckoo species: the paler brush cuckoo (C. variolosus) and the chestnut-breasted cuckoo (C. castaneiventris).
The natural habitats of the fan-tailed cuckoo include temperate forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, as well as paddocks, orchards, and gardens. In Australia, its distribution starts at Cape York in Queensland, follows the coastline south to Shark Bay in Western Australia. Along the west coast, its range does not extend more than 1000 km inland. In South Australia, the species occurs along the coast, except for the south-eastern corner around Mount Gambier and the Eyre Peninsula. It also lives in Tasmania.
