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ShrublandMedium · 103 g
What the African Cuckoo sounds like
ID tip
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.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
When to see the African Cuckoo
One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 7 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is November, the month with the most records.
Where to see the African Cuckoo
The map shades 30 countries with regular records, and 4 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.
Recorded as a rare visitor in Chad, Congo - Brazzaville, Mali, Sudan.
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.
Easily confused with
Lesser CuckooCuculus poliocephalusThe lesser cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae.
Himalayan CuckooCuculus saturatusAdult male Himalayan cuckoos are dark ashy-grey above with a brown, almost black, tail that is whitely spotted and tipped.
Madagascar CuckooCuculus rochiiThe Madagascar cuckoo is a small, slim cuckoo, measuring 28 cm (11 in) in length.
Side by side: African Cuckoo vs Oriental Cuckoo · African Cuckoo vs Himalayan Cuckoo · African Cuckoo vs Madagascar Cuckoo
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