Burchell's Coucal

Creamy-white to buff head and neck with heavy black streaking, rich chestnut-brown wings and back, and a long, dark greenish-black tail. Eyes are a distinctive bright red. Sexes are similar in plumage, though females are often slightly larger.

Bright red eye, heavy black-streaked head and neck contrasting with rich chestnut wings, and a long dark tail.

Length: 35-42 cm, Wingspan: approx. 45-50 cm, Weight: 150-300 g.

Famous for its distinctive, bubbling, water-pouring-out-of-a-bottle call, which often starts low and rises in pitch.

Carnivorous and omnivorous, feeding on large insects, spiders, snails, frogs, lizards, small rodents, and occasionally bird eggs and nestlings.

Thick vegetation, reedbeds, marshes, riverine bush, scrub, and overgrown gardens, usually near water.

Non-migratory resident, highly sedentary.

Builds a bulky, domed nest of leaves and grass hidden in dense reeds or low bushes. Lays 2 to 4 white eggs. Unlike brood-parasitic cuckoos, Burchell's Coucals raise their own young with shared parental care.

Senegal Coucal, which is very similar in appearance but generally found further north with some overlap in East Africa; distinguished by subtle differences in back and wing coloration and range.

Acts as an important predator of large insects, small vertebrates, and reptiles, helping to control local pest populations within its wetland and bushveld habitats.

Least Concern, with a stable population trend.

Look for them skulking in dense reedbeds, thickets, or rank grass near water. They are often spotted sunning themselves in the morning with their wings drooped.

Despite belonging to the cuckoo family, Burchell's Coucals do not practice brood parasitism and build their own nests, raising their own offspring.