Burchell's coucal is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in the southeastern parts of sub-Saharan Africa. It inhabits areas with thick cover afforded by rank undergrowth and scrub, including in suitable coastal regions. Common names include gewone vleiloerie in Afrikaans and umGugwane or uFukwe in Zulu. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the white-browed coucal, which replaces it to the north and west. The juvenile plumages and calls of the two taxa are hardly distinguishable. The species is named after the British naturalist William John Burchell.
Region
Southern Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs from northeastern South Africa through Eswatini and southern Mozambique, into eastern Botswana and Zimbabwe, wherever dense cover persists. It favors thickets, reedbeds, riverine scrub, rank grass with shrub patches, and coastal bush. It also uses overgrown agricultural margins, sugarcane, and suburban tangles when cover is continuous. The species is sedentary, with home ranges centered on reliable cover and water.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Named after British naturalist William John Burchell, this coucal is a shy, ground-loving cuckoo that seldom flies far. It is often confused with the white-browed coucal, and some authorities treat it as a subspecies of that taxon. Its rich, bubbling calls often carry after rain or in the breeding season and are a hallmark of bushveld mornings. As an opportunistic predator, it helps control insects, small reptiles, and rodents.
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats followed by glides; reluctant flier
Social Behavior
Usually found singly or in pairs that maintain territories year-round. Pairs build a ball-shaped nest low in dense vegetation, and both sexes share incubation and chick-rearing. They spend much time hopping through cover or clambering, using the tail for balance.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A rich, bubbling series of descending notes, often rendered as a liquid ‘doo-doo-doo’ that carries far in calm air. Pairs may duet, with calls most frequent at dawn and after rainfall. Harsh scolding notes are given when alarmed.
Plumage
Broad white supercilium over a dark cap, rufous-chestnut wings, dark brown to blackish upperparts, and creamy-buff underparts with fine dark streaking. The long, graduated tail is glossy blackish with pale or whitish tips. Feathers are loose-textured, giving a slightly shaggy look in dense vegetation.
Diet
Takes large insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars, as well as spiders. Also preys on small reptiles, frogs, small rodents, and occasionally bird eggs or nestlings. It hunts by stalking and pouncing from low cover, sometimes flipping leaf litter to expose prey.
Preferred Environment
Feeds on or near the ground within dense thickets, reed margins, riverine scrub, and overgrown edges of fields. Frequently forages along wetland fringes and in tangles near water where prey is abundant.
