68 
NATURE STUDY NOTES 
THE LONG-TAILED CUCKOO 
SONG—Cannot be represented, even approxi¬ 
mately, by notes of music; a loud and shrill whistle 
with an upward slur—usually heard at night-time. 
DESCRIPTION—Maori name is Koheperoa. 
Head, glossy dark brown with purple tinge. Upper 
parts, dark brown with reddish brown bars and 
spots. Under parts, white, with length-wise brown 
sti eaks. Legs, greenish yellow. Tail, brown with 
white bars across the feathers. (Illustration, p. 
51.) 
FOOD Chiefly insects of all kinds; also grubs 
and caterpillars. Occasionally young birds, espec¬ 
ially finches, and lizards. 
NEST—Egg is laid in the nest of the Yellow- 
Heads 01 in that of the Brown Creeper in the South 
Island of New Zealand. The White-head’s nest is 
favoured in the North Island. Egg laid in Novem¬ 
ber or December. (See p. 45.) 
HABITS—Remains in high branches of trees 
until sunset. Most active just before night-fall. 
Much more numerous in the South Island than in 
the North. 
This is a much larger bird than the Shining 
Cuckoo (see p. 48). Its beautiful plumage of 
streaked and speckled brown and white feathers is 
best seen when the cuckoo is in flight. Those who 
live in or near Auckland should not miss seeing the 
splendid specimens of this and other birds contained 
in the Auckland War Memorial Museum. 
My experience is that, in the Urewera country, 
this bird is not usually heard at night, but through¬ 
out the day in the hottest and brightest sunshine— 
