Cuckoos and other cheats

Spring and summer are the seasons for cuckoos in the Wet Tropics and Daintree, many of which are known to call incessantly, and most of which parasitise other birds nests.

The smallest, the Little Bronze-Cuckoo, breeds in this region and often uses the hanging nests of the Large-billed Gerygone or Fairy Gerygone to lay their eggs. The newly hatched chick disposes of the birds own eggs, allowing the poor, hapless (much smaller) 'parents' to feed it and it alone.

Little Bronze-Cuckoo (S.Isoe)

Other cuckoos in the Daintree region over the season include Brush Cuckoo (which calls incessantly), Channel-billed Cuckoo (Australia's largest cuckoo)and Australian Koel. Closely related, but not a brood parasite, is the rather clumsy but beautiful Pheasant Coucal.

Pheasant Coucal (Fred Forsell)

Large numbers of very noisy Channel-billed Cuckoos are about at present, which plenty of rainforest figs providing their necessary food.
The "wet season" is a fabulous time to be doing some Daintree birdwatching!

Fungi in the Forest

Fungi play an important role in the tropical rainforests of the Daintree as they help to break down plant matter on the forest floor. They are a hugely diverse kingdom and large numbers of species are found locally.

These few were found in just a short walk around a rainforest garden in Daintree Village, and include Woody Shelf Fungi which will grow on trees and probably contribute to their death. They will then live off the rotting timber for years, each year adding new layers with fresh colours.

Smaller, softer, more delicate and shorter-lived 'gilled' fungi like these examples below also grow on timber and add wonderful colours and textures to the rainforest floor.