The coppery-tailed coucal is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It was first described by the German ornithologist Anton Reichenow in 1896.
Region
South-Central Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs across floodplains, swamps, and marshy river margins in Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Prefers dense emergent vegetation such as reeds, papyrus, and sedges around seasonally inundated wetlands. Also uses rank grass and tangles of shrubs in moist dambos and floodplain edges. It is typically absent from arid open country and high, dry woodlands, concentrating where permanent or seasonal water is present.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1600 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Unlike many cuckoos, coucals are not brood parasites; they build their own nests and both parents care for the young. The coppery-tailed coucal is a skulker of wetlands, often seen clambering through reeds rather than flying. Its rich coppery-brown tail gives the species its name and is striking in good light. They frequently sun-bask with wings spread to regulate temperature and feather condition.
Immature bird in Mahango Game Park, Namibia
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with glides; reluctant flier
Social Behavior
Usually found singly or in pairs, moving quietly through dense wetland vegetation. Pairs defend territories and are monogamous; both sexes build a bulky, domed nest low in reeds or shrubs. Both parents incubate and feed the nestlings, with breeding timed to the rainy season when prey is abundant.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Deep, liquid series of whooping notes that accelerate and descend, often given as antiphonal duets at dawn and dusk. Calls carry far over wetlands and include bubbling chuckles and low booming hoots.
