Sahul Brush Cuckoo

The Sahul brush cuckoo (Cacomantis variolosus), formerly known as the brush cuckoo, is a member of the cuckoo family. It is native to Malesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and northern and eastern Australia. It is a grey-brown bird with a buff breast. Its call is a familiar sound of the Australian and Indonesian bush. == Taxonomy == Eight subspecies are recognised: C. v. major Salvadori, 1880 – north Moluccas (Morotai to Obi Islands) C. v. tymbonomus (Müller, S, 1843) – Rote Island, Timor and Wetar (east Lesser Sunda Islands) C. v. infaustus Cabanis & Heine, 1863 – New Guinea and most satellite islands C. v. obscuratus Stresemann & Paludan, 1932 – Numfor (Geelvink Bay islands, northwest New Guinea) C. v. variolosus (Vigors & Horsfield, 1827) – northeast Western Australia to south Victoria (north, east Australia) C. v. macrocercus Stresemann, 1921 – New Ireland, New Britain and satellites (east Bismarck Archipelago) C. v. websteri Hartert, EJO, 1898 – New Hanover Island (central north Bismarck Archipelago) C. v. fortior Rothschild & Hartert, EJO, 1914 – D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago (east of southeast New Guinea) The Manus brush cuckoo (Cacomantis blandus) and the Solomons brush cuckoo (Cacomantis addendus) were formerly treated as subspecies. Most…