able to mimic the calls of their host's chicks. Feeding Long-tailed cuckoo eat mostly insects. They also eat bird eggs and nestling birds, adult birds as large as sparrows, New Zealand bellbirds and thrushes, and lizards. They occasionally eat fruit and seeds. Young birds are fed insects by their host parents. Long-tailed cuckoo hardly ever forage on the ground however they do forage and the top of trees or in shrubs. Foraging is mainly done at night. Predators Long-tailed cuckoo are an at risk species in New Zealand and are very uncommon. Predators include rats and stoats. In culture Māori believed that the arrival of long-tailed cuckoos indicated that it was time to plant sweet potato or kumara, and that their departure meant it was time to harvest them. References Davies, N. (2000). Cuckoos, Cowbirds and Other Cheats. T & A D Poyser, London, Cuculidae Birds of New Zealand Birds of the Pacific Ocean Birds described in 1787 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by Anders Sparrman