Black Cuckoo

Overview

The black cuckoo (Cuculus clamosus) is a medium-sized cuckoo species widely distributed across sub-Saharan Africa. It is considered a common bird and is classified as a least-concern species by the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Plumage: Varies by subspecies; C. c. clamosus features black upper parts glossed with green, slatey-grey wings, and a black tail tipped with white, while C. c. gabonensis is mostly black with a red throat and barred belly.
• Size: Medium-sized cuckoo.

Habitat

This woodland bird avoids dense forest interiors, preferring acacia woodland, thickets, riverside woodland, plantations, and trees around villages. Its range extends from Liberia to Ethiopia in the east and down to Angola and South Africa, with the southern subspecies being migratory and the central subspecies resident.

Diet

The black cuckoo forages for hairy caterpillars, termites, ants, beetles, and grasshoppers, and also consumes birds' eggs and nestlings.

Did you know?

As a brood parasite, its chicks evict the host's eggs and nestlings, usually within thirty hours of hatching, and are fledged in about sixteen days.