African Cuckoo
Cuculus gularis
The African Cuckoo (Cuculus gularis) is a rare cuckoo found in 34 countries, weighing about 103 g. The African cuckoo or African grey cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae.
About the African Cuckoo
The African cuckoo or African grey cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa where it migrates within the continent, generally arriving and breeding in any one locality during the rainy season. A fairly common bird, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
This is a medium-sized species with a long tail, with a total length of 32 cm (13 in). Its dashing flight makes it resemble a bird of prey. The sexes are similar, the head, upper parts and wings being dark grey, the throat and breast pale grey and the belly white barred with dark grey. The tail is dark grey with dark barring and a white tip. The eye is yellow in the male and light brown in the female. The beak is yellow, tipped with black or horn. The legs and feet are yellowish.
What the African Cuckoo sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Chad, Congo - Brazzaville, Mali, Sudan.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, October, November, December, with peak activity in November. It is a winter visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an African Cuckoo?
- This is a medium-sized species with a long tail, with a total length of 32 cm (13 in). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an African Cuckoo?
- The African Cuckoo is a medium sized bird weighing about 103 g.
- Where can you see an African Cuckoo?
- The African Cuckoo occurs in 34 countries, including South Africa, Nigeria, Namibia, Tanzania and Uganda.
- What does an African Cuckoo sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the African Cuckoo on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to an African Cuckoo?
- The African Cuckoo is most easily confused with the Lesser Cuckoo, the Himalayan Cuckoo and the Madagascar Cuckoo.
- Is the African Cuckoo endangered?
- The African Cuckoo is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the African Cuckoo for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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