How do you identify a Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo?

The dusky long-tailed cuckoo is about 33 cm (13 in) long and weighs 50–61 g (1.8–2.2 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.

How big is a Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo?

The Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo is a small sized bird weighing about 56 g.

Where can you see a Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo?

The Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo occurs in 15 countries, including Uganda, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Congo - Brazzaville and Equatorial Guinea.

What does a Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo sound like?

You can listen to a field recording of the Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.

What birds look similar to a Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo?

The Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo is most easily confused with the Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo and the Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo.

Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo

Cercococcyx mechowi

Cuckoos · Cuculiformes · Rare

The Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo (Cercococcyx mechowi) is a rare cuckoo found in 15 countries, weighing about 56 g. The dusky long-tailed cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae.

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Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo (Cercococcyx mechowi), photo 1 — Photo: Mulyowa Elly Kasozi · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo (Cercococcyx mechowi), photo 2 — Photo: Mulyowa Elly Kasozi · CC BY 4.0

About the Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo

The dusky long-tailed cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in forests in Central Africa. The IUCN has assessed it as a least-concern species.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

The dusky long-tailed cuckoo is about 33 cm (13 in) long and weighs 50–61 g (1.8–2.2 oz). The head, nape and upperparts are dark brown, washed sooty-grey and with a purple-blue iridescence. The wings are dark brown, with buff and white spots. The underparts are white, with blackish-brown bars, and the vent is buff. The tail is long and graduated. The eyes are dark brown, the beak is greenish-black and the feet are yellow. The male and female are alike. The juvenile bird has a blackish throat and rufous bars on its upperparts.

What the Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo sounds like

Recording: paulo kivuyo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

Where it lives

Uganda Ghana Côte d’Ivoire Congo - Brazzaville Equatorial Guinea Nigeria Cameroon Angola Central African Republic Gabon Congo - Kinshasa Tanzania Sierra Leone

Recorded as a rare visitor in Liberia, Guinea.

When to see it

Best months: January, February, March, May, June, July, August, September, November, December, with peak activity in July. It is a variable species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo?: The dusky long-tailed cuckoo is about 33 cm (13 in) long and weighs 50–61 g (1.8–2.2 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo?: The Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo is a small sized bird weighing about 56 g.
Where can you see a Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo?: The Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo occurs in 15 countries, including Uganda, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Congo - Brazzaville and Equatorial Guinea.
What does a Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo sound like?: You can listen to a field recording of the Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
What birds look similar to a Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo?: The Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo is most easily confused with the Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo and the Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo.

Learn the Dusky Long-tailed 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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