The shining cuckoo is metallic bronze green, barred dark green on a white face and underparts and has a short tail. 

The song is a distinctive series of high-pitched upward-slurring whistles: ‘coo-ee’….followed by 1 –2 downward-slurring notes ‘tsee-ew’. 

The diet is mainly invertebrates, especially the small green caterpillars that feed on Kowhai leaves and the black hairy caterpillars of the Magpie Moth.

Most shining cuckoos over-winter in the Solomon Islands and the Bismark Archipelago, returning to New Zealand in September.

From mid-October the shining cuckoo lays a single egg in the nest of a grey warbler, the usual host species.  The egg is larger and a different colour being olive green.  It hatches at approximately 15 days and when a few days old evicts the other grey warbler eggs or chicks.  The chick fledges at about 19 days and continues to be fed by both grey warblers for at least 4 weeks.

Photography by: Dr Kerry Rodgers ©    Left - shining cuckoo in song.  Right - shining cuckoo taking to flight

References: Heather, B.D.; Robertson, H.A. 2000 The Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand. Auckland, Viking.