watkinsiana) and sweet sandpaper fig (F. opposita), the fruits of trees in the mistletoe family Loranthaceae as well as the fruits of the introduced black mulberry (Morus nigra). Also taken are insects, including beetles, butterflies and grasshoppers, and the nestlings and eggs of birds, including apostlebirds, magpie-larks and noisy miners. Birds typically feed in the canopy of large trees, sometimes in groups and occasionally with other fruit eating birds such as Australasian figbirds and cuckoo-shrikes. Relationship with humans In northern Australia their migration coincides with the beginning of the rainy season, leading to the species being given a range of colloquial names such as storm-bird, flood-bird or rain-bird. The fruigivorous habits of the species, coupled with its raptor-like appearance, have also resulted in it being known as the fig hawk. The channel-billed cuckoo is not considered threatened by human activities, and as such is listed as least concern by the IUCN. In fact, it has benefited from human activities; along with the Australian koel its numbers have increased in some parts of its range due to increases in host species caused by extensive planting of gardens around Australian cities. References Cited texts External links Australasian Bird Image Database: Channel-billed Cuckoo channel-billed cuckoo Birds of Sulawesi Birds of the Lesser Sunda Islands Birds of New Guinea Birds of Australia Birds of New Britain Birds of the Northern Territory Birds of Queensland channel-billed cuckoo Articles containing video clips Taxonomy articles created by Polbot