Chrysococcyx lucidus
Silhouette: Nicolas Huet le Jeune and Jean-Gabriel Prêtre (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The shining bronze cuckoo or pīpīwharauroa (Chalcites lucidus) is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae, found in Australia, Indonesia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. It was formerly placed in the genus Chrysococcyx.
It is a very small cuckoo, being only 13 to 18 cm (5.1 to 7.1 in) in length, and parasitises chiefly dome-shaped nests of various Gerygone species, having a range that largely corresponds with the distribution of that genus. It may also parasitise other Acanthizidae species, and is also the most southerly ranging brood parasitic bird species in the world, extending to at least 46°S in New Zealand.
Hard to spot and easier to hear, the shining bronze cuckoo is 13–18 cm (5.1–7.1 in) in overall length, has a wingspan of 25–32 cm (9.8–12.6 in) and weighs around 25 g (0.88 oz). It is slightly larger than Horsfield's bronze cuckoo (Chalcites basalis). It has metallic golden or coppery green upperparts and white cheeks and underparts barred with dark green. The female is similar with a more purplish sheen to the crown and nape and bronzer-tinged barring on the belly. The bill is black and the feet are black with... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maria Island National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Egmont National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 5 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 9 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Freycinet National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 14 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 15 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 16 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 17 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 18 | Arthur's Pass National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 19 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Shining Cuckoo sighting in Grampians National Park on a given day, based on 69 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 62nd most-seen of the 145 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Shining Cuckoo in Grampians National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–August and December–February, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Shining Cuckoo sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 19
Of the 19 parks where we can rate Shining Cuckoo sightings, Grampians National Park ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Maria Island National Park (Australia, about 30%), Lamington National Park (Australia, about 20%) and Springbrook National Park (Australia, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Shining Cuckoo is recorded against all the birds logged in Grampians National Park (69 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
