164 Bird-Song : and New Zealand Song Birds 
Family: Cuoilidae 
THE CUCKOOS 
There are two species of cuckoo that are said to visit New 
Zealand; and these, in their migratory and parasitical habits 
resemble the European species. They are : 
Cluilcococcyx lucidus the shining, or bronze-winged pipiwharauroa 
cuckoo 
Urodynamis taitensis the long-tailed cuckoo koekoea or kohoperoa 
The shining cuckoo. —Above, metallic bronzy green; below, 
white, barred with bronzy-brown; outer tail-feathers barred 
with white, the second with rufous; forehead, freckled with 
white; eye black. The sexes are alike. The young are duller 
in colour, and the bands on the lower surface are more 
numerous and not so distinct. Total length 7 in., of which the 
tail is 2f in.; spread of wings 11^ in. Because of the barring 
across the breast, it is known in parts of the North Island as 
the zebra-bird. 
It is one of the most remarkable of the many remarkable 
birds of New Zealand. Supposing the fact of its migration to 
be accepted, in its flight it covers upwards of 1,000 miles of 
open ocean. When it was stated by Colenso (TJ, Vol. 2, 1846, 
p. 227) in 1842 that New Zealand possessed migratory birds, it 
was supposed by European naturalists that a mistake had been 
made, since up till that time the greatest distance travelled 
over water by migratory birds was 300 miles (Tr., Vol. 33, 
1901, p. 252). The observations of Colenso were, however, 
accepted as fact, and it was afterwards stated that the bird 
wintered in New Caledonia, Australia, and Tasmania (JP, 
Vol. 1, 1892, pp. 181-2), or in New Guinea (Tr., Vol. 42, 1910, 
p. 405). The migratory flight is supposed to be rather between 
New Caledonia and New Zealand.than between Australia 
and New Zealand; for the birds apparently arrive from the 
north, spreading south to the South Island; and on preparing 
to leave, the birds work northwards again. It is not known 
