Africa Wild Bird Book

[Toko]

390. Senegal Coucal Centropus senegalensis (Senegalvleiloerie)
Order: Cuculiformes. Family: Cuculidae

Senegal Coucal Centropus senegalensis.jpg (27.71 KiB) Viewed 1257 times

Description
39 cm. Black upperparts, bill, legs and long tail. Chestnut wings. White underparts. Key distinguishing feature is the unbarred brown rump, sometimes dif­ficult to see in field. Sexes are similar.
Juveniles are duller and streaked above, upperparts barred black, uppertail covert finely barred buff; bill initially pale horn coloured.
Similar species: Distribution overlaps only slightly with larger Burchell's Coucal. Told from Burchell's Coucal in having unbarred uppertail coverts. Senegal Coucal lacks the fine barring on the rump and base of the tail. It differs from larger Coppery-tailed Coucal by its smaller size and by the brighter chestnut colouring on the wings and back, has a less heavy bill and a shorter tail with green iridescence. Juvenile of this species and juvenile Coppery-tailed Coucal are indistinguishable in the field except on size.

Distribution
It has three separate populations in Africa; one in Egypt, another in the area from Senegal to Ethiopia south to northern DRC, and finally one in Tanzania, Zambia, south-eastern Angola and southern Africa. Within southern Africa it is generally uncommon in north-eastern Namibia, northern and eastern Botswana, Zimbabwe and central Mozambique. The Senegal Coucal covers most of Zimbabwe, except some eastern districts. In Botswana it occurs in the Okavango, part of the northern Chobe District, and just into the Tuli Block along the Limpopo River in the east. In Namibia it is found in the Caprivi and along the Okavango River, with isolated scattered records further south.



Habitat
It generally prefers scrub and thickets along or near watercourses, secondary forest regrowth, the border between woodland and grassland as all man-modified habitats with dense cover, such as fallow lands, sugar cane fields, parks and gardens.

Diet
Mainly eats invertebrates, reptiles and bird chicks, doing most of its foraging by searching the vegetation and occasionally descending to the ground.

Breeding
Probably monogamous and territorial. The nest is likely built solely by the female, consisting of a loosely-built dome with a side entrance, made of grass and twigs and lined with green leaves. It is typically placed in a tangled clump of creepers in a bush or tree. Egg-laying season is from October-March, peaking from November-January. The female lays 2-5 eggs, which are incubated solely by the male for about 17-19 days. The chicks are fed by both parents, they leave the nest after approximately 18-20 days.

Call
Bubbling liquid notes, sometimes in duet ook-ook-ook call Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Uncommon in most areas. Resident, with some local movement.

[Toko]

390. Senegal Coucal Centropus senegalensis

© Toko

© pooky
Gonarezhou, Zimbabwe

Links:
Species text Sabap1
Sabap2
Birds of Botswana
Sasol

[Klipspringer]

389. Coppery-tailed Coucal Centropus cupreicaudus
Order: Cuculiformes. Family: Cuculidae

Coppery-tailed Coucal Centropus cupreicaudus.jpg (21.48 KiB) Viewed 1197 times

Description
Overall length 42 to 50 cm. Sexes alike, above the forehead to upper back black with violet gloss, back dark brown, wing and wing coverts reddish brown, rump and upper tail coverts black, often finely barred, tail blackish brown with coppery gloss. Underparts creamy white. Iris red. Bill black. Feet black.
Juvenile: Head dull black with black shaft streaks, back dark brown, wing reddish brown barred dark brown, rump and upper tail coverts blackish, tail blackish with fine buff tip, chin to belly whitish, breast has buff shaft streaks and small blackish spots.

Distribution
Endemic to south-central Africa, occurring in a small band from south-western Tanzania to Angola, northern Botswana and the Caprivi Strip.

Habitat
It generally prefers dense waterside vegetation, especially in swamps, inundated flood plains and vleis.

Diet
Preys on frogs, aquatic insects and nestling birds.

Breeding
The nest is a scruffy grass platform, probably built by the male. It is usually placed in dense tangles of reed or grass, sometimes over water. Egg-laying season is from January-March. It lays 2-4 eggs, sometimes before the nest has been completed. They are probably incubated by the male only. The chicks are fed mainly locusts and frogs by both parents, leaving the nest after about 17 days.

Call
The call is a repetitive, bubbling 'duu-duu-duu-duu'.

Status
Locally common breeding resident.

[Klipspringer]

389. Coppery-tailed Coucal Centropus cupreicaudus

© Dewi

© Dewi
Caprivi Strip, Caprivi River Lodge, Zambezi River

Links:

[Flutterby]

391. Burchell's Coucal Centropus burchellii (Gewone Vleiloerie)
Order: Cuculiformes. Family: Centropidae

Centropus burchellii.jpg (32.89 KiB) Viewed 1201 times

Description
41 cm. Eyes are red; bills, legs and feet are black. Glossy black cap and a black neck, chestnut back, buffy white underparts and fine rufous barring on the rump and the base of the tail. Sexes are alike.
Juveniles have a white eyebrow and a streaked, brownish crown.
Very similar to the slightly smaller Senegal Coucal and White-browed Coucal but this species has fine, rufous barring on the rump and the base of the tail.
Juvenile is indistinguishable in the field from juvenile Senegal Coucal and White-browed Coucal.

Distribution
Near-endemic to southern Africa, occurring from north-eastern Mozambique and southern Malawi to northern Namibia, northern and south-eastern Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland and eastern and southern South Africa (along the coastal regions and north-eastern parts).



Habitat
Long grass, riverine scrub, reedlands, woodland and suburban gardens.

Diet
They hunt small mammals such as mice and rats, reptiles such as lizards and chameleons, small birds such as doves and sparrows, a variety of insects and amphibians such frogs and toads. They do most of its foraging in bushes and trees, often flying down to the ground to catch prey. Occasionally they will also eat fruit.

Breeding
Burchell’s Coucals are monogamous, and the males build an untidy deep cup-shaped nest of grass and leaves, usually in dense vegetation. Egg-laying season is from September-March, with slight variations with different regions. The female lays 2-5 eggs, with an interval of 1-2 days between the laying of each egg. Incubation is done mostly by the male for about 15-16 days. The chicks' feet develop quickly, and they are capable of clambering around bushes long before they can fly. They usually leave the nest at 21 days old, after which they are still dependent on their parents for many weeks.

Call
A liquid, bubbling doo-doo-doo-doo, descending in scale, then rising towards the end of the phrase. Listen to Bird Call.

Status
A common resident.

[Flutterby]

391. Burchell's Coucal Centropus burchellii

© Flutterby

© Leachy

© BluTuna
Kruger National Park

© Pumbaa
Kruger National Park, S28

© Bushcraft
Juvenile

© Flutterby
Juvenile

© Toko
Juvenile

Links:
Species text Sabap1: http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/391.pdf
Sabap2
Birds of Botswana
Roberts online
Sasol

[Pumbaa]

388. Black Coucal Centropus grillii (Swartvleiloerie)
Order: Cuculiformes. Family: Cuculidae

Black Coucal.jpg (42.67 KiB) Viewed 1209 times

Description
Size: 38 cm. A small coucal and the only one in the region to have a black head and body contrasting with a rich chestnut back and wings. Sexes alike but female is larger. Non-breeding adult and juvenile birds differ from other coucal by their smaller size, small bill and clear-buff-streaked head and upperparts.

Distribution
Senegal, Gambia and Ivory Coast through N Cameroon and Gabon to Ethiopia and Kenya, and S through S & E Zaire to Angola, Zambia, Malawi, N Zimbabwe, Mozambique and NE South Africa (NE Natal).
Occupies large areas of sub-Saharan Africa, although largely absent from East Africa and Tanzania. In southern Africa it is scarce and localized, occurring in northern Namibia, northern Botswana, Zimbabwe, central and southern Mozambique and marginally in eastern South Africa.

Habitat: Moist grassland with rank vegetation.

Diet
It exclusively eats invertebrates, such as grasshoppers, centipedes and spiders.

Breeding
Mainly polyandrous, but monogamy has also been recorded, meaning that some females mate with only one male while others can mate with up to the three different males. A polyandrous female would mate with a suitable male, then lay eggs in his nest before moving on to another males territory, leaving him to incubate eggs and care for the chicks. The nest is built by the male, consisting of a deep cup nestled in thick tufts of grass. Egg-laying season is from December-March, peaking from January-February. It lays 2-6 eggs, which are incubated solely by the male for about 14 days. The chicks are fed and cared for by the male, permanently leaving the nest after about 18-20 days and fledging about a week later.

Call
A typical, bubbling coucal call, and a monotonous, repeated poopoop. Listen to Bird Call

Status
Uncommon summer visitor. Classified as near-threatened in South Africa, due to habitat loss. Evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN List.

[Pumbaa]

388. Black Coucal Centropus grillii (Swartvleiloerie)


Kruger National Park



Links:
Species text Sabap1: http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/388.pdf]
Sabap2: http://sabap2.adu.org.za/spp_summary.ph ... &section=3]
Newman's birds of Southern Africa
Sasol
Breeding biology

[Lisbeth]

380. Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius (Gevlekte Koekoek)
Order: Cuculiformes. Family: Cuculidae

Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius.jpg (32.53 KiB) Viewed 1195 times

Description
38-40 cm. White-spotted dark back, creamy white underparts, elongated, long wedge-shaped tail and grey crest and crown.
The upperparts are mostly a dusky, greyish-brown colour, while the tips of the wing and tail feathers are brilliant white. These appear as spots when the wings are closed, giving the bird its common name. The throat is light buff, and the rest of the underparts are bright white. The pale grey feathers on top of the great spotted cuckoo’s head can be erected as a small crest.
The adult male and female great spotted cuckoo are similar in appearance, while the juvenile has a black head and reddish-brown on the wings, with buffer underparts.

Distribution
It occurs in the Middle east, Spain, Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa, excluding equatorial lowland forest. In southern Africa it is fairly common in northern and central Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and northern South Africa, within an isolated population in the Eastern Cape.

Habitat
Woodland, arid, open savanna, particularly with Acacia trees, and grassland with scattered trees and bushes.

Diet
It feeds mainly on invertebrates - especially hairy caterpillars but also grasshoppers, beetles and other insects. It typically forages by sitting in the tree canopy, scanning the surrounding foliage and ground for prey. Once prey is located, it swoops into foliage or on to the ground and grabs its prey.

Breeding
It is a brood parasite, meaning that it lays its eggs in other birds nests. The host, thinking that the egg is its own, incubates the egg and cares for the chick. The following bird species are parasitized by the Great-spotted Cuckoo: Pied Crow (the most common host), Cape Crow, Pied Starling, Red-winged Starling, Pale-winged Starling, Cape Glossy Starling, Greater Blue-eared Starling, Burchell's Starling, Meves's Starling, Common Myna. Egg-laying season is from December-March in Namibia and Botswana, August-January in Zimbabwe, October-January in the Kruger National Park and from October-February in the Western and Eastern Cape. The female waits until the potential host has left the nest, then inspects it to see if it is suitable. If it is, she lays 1-4, usually two eggs, laying up to six eggs per day and up to 23 in one breeding season. Unlike some cuckoos, the chicks do not always kill their siblings, but will sometimes peck and damage them. They leave the nest after 22-26 days.

Call
A loud rapid keeow-keeow-keeow. Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Summer visitor or resident.

[Lisbeth]

380. Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius (Gevlekte Koekoek)

© Guinea Pig
Kruger National Park

© Pumbaa
Kruger National Park

© Heksie
Kruger National Park

© Pumbaa
Juvenile

Links:
http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/380.pdf
http://sabap2.adu.org.za/spp_summary.ph ... &section=3
Newman's birds of Southern Africa
http://www.arkive.org/great-spotted-cuc ... landarius/