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".
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs widely from West to East and southern Africa in open woodland, savanna, and forest edges. It frequents miombo and acacia woodlands, riparian thickets, and wooded farmland, and will visit large gardens and plantations. The species generally avoids dense rainforest interiors and the most arid deserts. Local movements track rainfall and host availability, with birds arriving to breed during wet seasons when caterpillars peak.
Altitude Range
0–2500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The African cuckoo is an obligate brood parasite, most famously targeting the fork-tailed drongo and several robin-chat and wagtail species. Its eggs often mimic those of its hosts in color and pattern, increasing the chances of successful parasitism. It times breeding to the rainy season when insect prey is abundant and host birds are nesting.
![The upper tail covers are grey like those of a common cuckoo, rather than blackish as in lesser or Madagascar cuckoos.[2]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Cuckoo_African_2010_10_04_11_00_50_10630.jpg/640px-Cuckoo_African_2010_10_04_11_00_50_10630.jpg)
The upper tail covers are grey like those of a common cuckoo, rather than blackish as in lesser or Madagascar cuckoos.[2]
![Tail barring is complete, unlike the common cuckoo which has the outer rectrices incompletely barred.[2]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/African_Cuckoo%2C_crop.jpg/640px-African_Cuckoo%2C_crop.jpg)
Tail barring is complete, unlike the common cuckoo which has the outer rectrices incompletely barred.[2]
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
direct flight with rapid wingbeats and short glides
Social Behavior
Typically solitary outside breeding, spending much time perched quietly within canopy cover. As a brood parasite, it does not build its own nest; females surreptitiously lay in host nests, often removing a host egg. Chicks eject host eggs or young soon after hatching to monopolize care.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
The male gives a mellow, far-carrying two-note coo-coo reminiscent of the Common Cuckoo but often slower and more hollow. Calls intensify during the rainy season and at dawn. Females may emit a quicker bubbling call near host territories.
Plumage
Smooth grey head and upperparts with clean white underparts finely barred dark brown to black. The tail is dark with prominent white tips and spots, and the throat is pale. Overall appearance recalls the Common Cuckoo but with warmer soft-grey tones.
Diet
Primarily eats insects, especially hairy caterpillars that many birds avoid, along with beetles, grasshoppers, and other larvae. It occasionally takes small vertebrates or other arthropods when available. Indigestible caterpillar hairs are often compacted and regurgitated as pellets.
Preferred Environment
Forages from shaded perches along woodland edges, riparian trees, and open savanna groves. It gleans prey from foliage and branches and will sally out to snatch insects in short flights. It also descends to the ground to pick caterpillars from low vegetation.
