Cuculus optatus, Gould, 1845

Bishop, K. David, 2023, The avifauna of Biak Island, Papua, Indonesia with comments on status, conservation, natural history and taxonomy, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 143 (1), pp. 3-62 : 28

*ORIENTAL / HIMALAYAN CUCKOO Cuculus optatus / C. saturatus

Range Biak, Yapen.

Taxonomy Recognition of three species-level forms in this lineage, of which these two have been recorded in the New Guinea region, represents a problem for birders in that they are virtually impossible to identify in the field unless heard calling or examined in the hand (Beehler & Pratt 2016). Consequently, the taxon recorded on Biak cannot be identified with certainty, although C. saturatus is only a vagrant to New Guinea, whereas C. optatus is a fairly common non-breeding visitor and thus more likely to be the species involved (Beehler & Pratt 2016).

Status Palearctic migrant. First recorded February 1990 near Warafri ( Gibbs 1993) and thereafter on just a few occasions. 26 February 1992: near Bosnick ( KDB); 21‒23 September 1995: unstated locality ( Myers 1997); 26‒27 March 2008: forest near airport (Brickle & Wilson 2008); 1 November 2017: Warafri (G. Poisson, eBird checklist S40240162). 13 January 1994: recorded on Owi (P. Gregory in litt. 2000).