About the Black Coucal
The black coucal is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It has a wide distribution in Africa south of the Sahara.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The male black coucal is 30 cm (12 in) in length while the female is 34 cm (13 in), otherwise they are similar in appearance. In breeding plumage the head, body and tail are black, apart from some buff barring on the rump, and the wings are rufous. Outside the breeding season, the upper parts are dark brown with rufous barring. The eyes are brown and the beak and legs are black. Juveniles are rufous with various dark and light barring and streaking.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
When to see it
Peak activity in February · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Black-faced CoucalCentropus melanopsThe black-faced coucal is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae.
Green-billed CoucalCentropus chlororhynchosIt is a medium to large bird at 43 cm.
Learn the Black Coucal for real
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