The barred long-tailed cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in the Albertine Rift montane forests and disjunctly throughout East Africa.
Region
East and Central African montane forests
Typical Environment
Occurs chiefly in the Albertine Rift montane forests with disjunct populations in other East African highlands. Prefers evergreen montane forest, often along ridges, ravines, and bamboo zones. It also uses mature secondary forest and edges where canopy cover remains high. Birds may wander locally along forested altitudinal gradients.
Altitude Range
900–3000 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A secretive forest cuckoo, it is more often heard than seen, its calls carrying through high montane forests. Like many cuckoos, it practices brood parasitism, laying its eggs in the nests of smaller forest birds. Its long, graduated tail helps it maneuver through dense canopy foliage.
Temperament
secretive and shy
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides through the canopy
Social Behavior
Typically solitary or in pairs within dense forest. It is a brood parasite, depositing eggs in nests of smaller forest passerines and leaving the hosts to raise the young. Nesting activity follows local rainy seasons when host activity peaks.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives a series of hollow, fluty whistles that may accelerate or rise slightly in pitch. Calls carry far in still forest air and are often given from concealed perches high in the canopy.
