The olive long-tailed cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found throughout the African tropical rainforest.
Region
Central and West African Rainforest
Typical Environment
Occurs across the African tropical rainforest belt from West Africa through the Congo Basin to western Uganda and northwestern Angola. It inhabits primary and mature secondary lowland forests, dense gallery forests, and well-wooded foothills. Birds keep to the mid-story and canopy but also descend to tangled understory when foraging. It tolerates some forest edge and regenerating habitats if canopy continuity remains. Local movements may track rainfall and food peaks within forest blocks.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1600 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A shy forest cuckoo, it is far more often heard than seen, slipping through dense foliage with a long, graduated tail that aids agility. Like many cuckoos, it is an obligate brood parasite, laying its eggs in the nests of smaller forest songbirds. Its mellow, whistled calls carry through African rainforests at dawn and dusk.
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides through dense foliage
Social Behavior
Typically solitary or in pairs within large forest territories. As an obligate brood parasite, it does not build its own nest and instead lays eggs in the nests of smaller passerines, leaving hosts to raise the chicks. Courtship is discreet, relying on vocalizations and pursuit flights within the canopy.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives a series of mellow, whistled notes that rise and fall, often carrying far in still forest air. Calls are repeated at intervals, most frequent at dawn and late afternoon, and serve as the best clue to its presence.
Plumage
Olive-brown upperparts with a long, graduated tail; underparts pale buff to whitish with fine dark barring or streaking on the breast and flanks. Tail shows subtle darker bars with paler tips. Feathers are soft and matte, aiding camouflage in shaded forest.
Diet
Feeds mainly on insects, especially caterpillars (including hairy species), beetles, orthopterans, and other soft-bodied arthropods. Occasionally takes small vertebrates such as tiny lizards when available. Prey is gleaned from leaves and branches or snatched in short sallies.
Preferred Environment
Forages in the mid-story to canopy of mature rainforest, using dense foliage for cover. Also hunts along forest edges and clearings where insect activity is high, and sometimes drops to understory tangles.
