Coppery-tailed coucal

Last updated

Coppery-tailed coucal
Coppery-tailed coucal (Centropus cupreicaudus).jpg
Matetsi Safari Area, Zimbabwe
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Cuculiformes
Family: Cuculidae
Genus: Centropus
Species:
C. cupreicaudus
Binomial name
Centropus cupreicaudus
Reichenow, 1896

The coppery-tailed coucal (Centropus cupreicaudus) 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.

Contents

Description

Immature bird in Mahango Game Park, Namibia Centropus cupreicaudus subsp cupreicaudus, juv, Muhango-wildpark, Birding Weto, a.jpg
Immature bird in Mahango Game Park, Namibia

An adult coppery-tailed coucal is about 48 cm (19 in) long and has a curved beak and long, broad tail. Males are slightly smaller than females. The coppery-tailed coucal's plumage is similar to that of the Senegal coucal (Centropus senegalensis). It has a black head and upperparts, white or cream-coloured underparts, a brown rump with a coppery-sheen and a blackish-brown tail. Immature birds have pale streaks on the head and their flight feathers are barred. The call of the coppery-tailed coucal consists of deep, bubbling notes. [2] [3]

Distribution and habitat

The coppery-tailed coucal is native to parts of south central Africa. Its range stretches from Angola in the west to southwestern Tanzania, northern Botswana and the Caprivi Strip in Namibia. Its typical habitat is swampland and dense vegetation near rivers, but it is also found on inundated floodplains and near seasonal lakes. [4] The total size of its range is around 1,750,000 square kilometres (680,000 sq mi).

Behaviour

The coppery-tailed coucal is territorial throughout the year and is mostly active soon after dawn and in the evening. It forages on land and feeds on amphibians, fish, small birds, reptiles and rodents as well as such invertebrate prey as grasshoppers, crabs and snails. It scavenges for dead fish and other edible matter and eats some green plant food. It tears open the nests of weaver birds (Ploceus spp.) and sometimes swallows blue quail (Coturnix adansonii) whole. The breeding season occurs from January to March and the bird is believed to be monogamous. A domed nest, built of grasses, reed fragments and twigs and lined with leaves, is constructed low down among reeds or in tangled waterside vegetation. Both parents are involved in nesting activities but the male may play the larger role. A clutch of two to four eggs is laid and incubation starts as soon as the first egg is laid, which is sometimes before the nest has been completed. The eggs hatch at intervals and both parents care for the young. The chicks are fed on such foods as frogs and locusts. The young leave the nest when about seventeen days old, sometimes when part grown and not yet able to fly. [4] [5]

Status

The coppery-tailed coucal has a very wide range and although the population has not been quantified, it is common in some parts of the range. The population trend seems stable. For these reasons, the IUCN has listed its conservation status as "Least concern". [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fork-tailed drongo</span> Species of bird

The fork-tailed drongo, also called the common drongo, African drongo, or savanna drongo, is a small bird that can be found in a very substantial range, from the Sahel to South Africa, excepting the Congolian rainforests and Upper Guinean forests. They are a passerine, part of the family, Dicruridae, with four recognized subspecies. Physically this species is characterized with a narrow fork-shaped tail, red-brownish eyes, and black plumage throughout all of his body. As an omnivorous species, its diet consists of small insects, composing of butterflies, grasshoppers and beetles, besides fruit, including those of Azadirachta indica and Moringa oleifera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater coucal</span> Species of bird

The greater coucal or crow pheasant, is a large non-parasitic member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes. A widespread resident in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, it is divided into several subspecies, some being treated as full species. They are large, crow-like with a long tail and coppery brown wings and found in a wide range of habitats from jungle to cultivation and urban gardens. They are weak fliers, and are often seen clambering about in vegetation or walking on the ground as they forage for insects, eggs and nestlings of other birds. They have a familiar deep resonant call which is associated with omens in many parts of its range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Senegal coucal</span> Species of bird

The Senegal coucal is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, which also includes the roadrunners, the anis, and the hoatzin. It is a medium-sized member of its genus and is found in lightly-wooded country and savannah in central and southern Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coucal</span> Genus of birds

A coucal is one of about 30 species of birds in the cuckoo family. All of them belong in the subfamily Centropodinae and the genus Centropus. Unlike many Old World cuckoos, coucals are not brood parasites, though they do have their own reproductive peculiarity: all members of the genus are sex-role reversed, so that the smaller male provides most of the parental care. At least one coucal species, the black coucal, is polyandrous. Some species have the male investing more in incubation and parental care.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardinal woodpecker</span> Species of bird

The cardinal woodpecker is a widespread and common resident breeder in much of sub-Saharan Africa. It occurs in a wide range of habitats, ranging from dense forest to thorn bush. It is fairly vocal and is easily identified by its call notes. The sexes are distinguishable by their head patterns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey go-away-bird</span> Species of bird

The grey go-away-bird, also known as grey lourie, grey loerie, or kwêvoël, is a bold and common bird of the southern Afrotropics. They are present in arid to moist, open woodlands and thorn savanna, especially near surface water. They regularly form groups and parties that forage in tree tops, or dust bathe on the ground. Especially when disturbed, they make their presence known by their characteristically loud and nasal "kweh" or "go-way" calls, with the last syllable typically a descending drawl. Within range, their unique combination of appearance and habits precludes confusion with other bird species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black coucal</span> Species of bird

The black coucal is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It has a wide distribution in Africa south of the Sahara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-throated coucal</span> Species of bird

The black-throated coucal is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in West Africa in dense second growth along forest edge and grassy swamps. The subspecies found in northern and central Zaire is sometimes split as Neumann's coucal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-headed coucal</span> Species of bird

The blue-headed coucal is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is native to tropical central Africa where its typical habitat is swamps, river banks, forest edges and generally wet locations. It is a common bird with a wide range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pheasant coucal</span> Species of bird

The pheasant coucal is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in Australia, Timor and New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests. It has adapted well to canefields in northern Australia. The pheasant coucal is unusual among Australian cuckoos in that it incubates and raises its own young instead of laying its eggs in the nest of another species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-browed coucal</span> Species of bird

The white-browed coucal or lark-heeled cuckoo, is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in sub-Saharan Africa. It inhabits areas with thick cover afforded by rank undergrowth and scrub, including in suitable coastal regions. Burchell's coucal is sometimes considered a subspecies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malagasy coucal</span> Species of bird

The Malagasy coucal or Madagascar coucal is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in Madagascar and in the Seychelles, where it occurs on Aldabra and was formerly present on Assumption Island and Cosmoledo. Its natural habitats are dense vegetation in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, mangrove forests, rough grassland, marshes and reedbeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African cuckoo</span> Species of bird

The African 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".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-chested cuckoo</span> Species of bird

The red-chested cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is a medium-sized bird found in Africa south of the Sahara. In Afrikaans, it is known as "Piet-my-vrou", after its call.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuckoo-finch</span> Species of bird

The cuckoo-finch, also known as the parasitic weaver or cuckoo weaver, is a small passerine bird now placed in the family Viduidae with the indigobirds and whydahs. It occurs in grassland in Africa south of the Sahara. The male is mainly yellow and green while the female is buff with dark streaks. The eggs are laid in the nests of other birds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-browed scrub robin</span> Species of bird

The white-browed scrub robin, also known as the red-backed scrub-robin, is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is native to sub-Saharan Africa, especially East and southern Africa. Within range, its Turdus-like song is one of the often-heard sounds of the bush. The flitting of the tail is characteristic of this species, but also of some near relatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Groundscraper thrush</span> Species of bird (Psophocichla litsitsirupa)

The groundscraper thrush is a passerine bird of southern and eastern Africa belonging to the thrush family, Turdidae. It was previously considered the only member of the genus Psophocichla, but phylogenetic analysis supports it belonging in the genus Turdus, of which it is the most basal species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African pied wagtail</span> Species of bird

The African pied wagtail, or African wagtail, is a species of bird in the family Motacillidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-bellied sunbird</span> Species of bird

The white-bellied sunbird, also known as the white-breasted sunbird, is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burchell's coucal</span> Species of bird

Burchell's coucal, is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in 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 in Zulu. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the white-browed coucal. It is named after the British naturalist William John Burchell.

References

  1. 1 2 BirdLife International (2016). "Centropus cupreicaudus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22684280A93023039. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22684280A93023039.en . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. Sinclair, Ian; Davidson, Ian Hugh (1995). Sasol Southern African Birds: A Photographic Guide. Ztruik. p. 134. ISBN   9781770072442.
  3. "Birds of Namibia: Centropus cupreicaudus". The Cardboard Box. Retrieved 2014-06-15.
  4. 1 2 "Centropus cupreicaudus (Coppery-tailed coucal)". Biodiversity Explorer. Iziko. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  5. Erritz, Johannes; Mann, Clive F.; Brammer, Frederik; Fuller, Richard A. (2012). Cuckoos of the World. A C Black. pp. 172–173. ISBN   9781408142677.

gggg\