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GrasslandDomed nestMedium · 123 g
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.
When to see the Black Coucal
One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 11 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is February, the month with the most records.
Where to see the Black Coucal
The map shades 29 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.
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.
Easily confused with
Black-throated CoucalCentropus leucogasterThe black-throated coucal is the largest species in the genus Centropus, growing to 46 to 58 cm (18 to 23 in) in length.
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.
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