Memorandum to: The Director of Birds Australia

From: Birds Australia Rarities Committee (BARC)

Date: 13^th November 2007

Voting Members: Tony Palliser Glenn Holmes

Jamie Matthew Danny Rogers

John Hatch Andrew Silcocks

Mike Carter Rohan Clarke

cc: David Stewart

Submission No: 514 Long-tailed Koel Eudynamys taitensis; Annandale, Townsville, QLD. 10^th January 2007.

This case concerns the sighting of a bird considered to be a Long-tailed Koel E. taitensis in Annandale, Townsville, QLD on the 10^th January 2007. Although the bird was only in view for a few minutes the observer was 100% confident of the identification.

The bird was described as approximately 40cm in size with a long ‘pheasant-type’ brown banded tail. Upperparts were similar with underparts cream with brown streaks similar to a female Figbird. Additionally, distinctive white stripes on its cheeks and a white streak extending down from the eye, otherwise features were very similar to female Common Koel.

Committee members agreed that it is highly likely this bird was a Long-tailed Koel but felt that the description was too brief to warrant acceptance for a rarity of this magnitude. Three members of the committee voted in favour of acceptance but the description and the corroborative material (lack of photographs) was just too brief for the rest.

To date there are no confirmed mainland records.

Verdict: Not Accepted

Selected Bibliography:

· Coates, B.J. & Bishop, K.D. 1997. A Guide to the Birds of Wallacea. Dove Publications, Brisbane.

· del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. eds. 1997. Handbook to the Birds of the World. Vol. 4. Sandgrouse to Cuckoos. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

· Payne, R.B. 2005. The Cuckoos. Bird Families of the World. OUP, Oxford.

Tony Palliser

Chairman, Birds Australia Rarities Committee