THE



Avicultural Magazine


THE JOURNAL OF THE

AVICULTURAL SOCIETY



Fifth Series .—VoL III.—No. 5 .—All rights reserved. MAY, 1938.



BERNSTEIN’S GROUND-CUCKOO


(Centropus bernsteini)


By P. H. Maxwell


Among the interesting collection at the London Zoo is a specimen

of this rare and peculiar ground Cuckoo from New Guinea.


The following is a description of an adult specimen.


Entirely black, with a strong greenish gloss, and glossy black shafts

to the feathers of the top of the head, neck, mantle, and chest. Bill

and legs black ; iris dirty white. Total length 18’5 inches; culmen,

P45 ; ring, 7*5 ; tail, 10’7 ; tarsus, 1*75.


The Zoo specimen came from Mannen Volcano, S.E. New Guinea.

This bird is distinguished from the Menebiki Ground Cuckoo by it

black bill and nearly straightened hind claw. A collector of the B.O.U.

and Wolleston Expeditions to Dutch New Guinea remarked on its

very skulking habits and it appeared to occur near the coast. It is

worthy of mention that John Gould, the well-known naturalist, did

not mention these birds in his book on the birds of New Guinea so

could not have known of their existence.



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