White-browed Coucal
Msuna Island, Zimbabwe
The white-browed coucal is a member of the cuckoo family which is fairly common in eastern and southern Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of the Arabian Peninsula including coastal areas. It prefers to be close to water in dense scrub, thickets or reedbeds that provide plenty of cover.
Feeding
The white-browed coucal is a carnivore and preys on insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals, foraging in thick vegetation or dropping from a perch onto an unsuspecting terrestrial prey.
Breeding
Male and female white-browed coucals build a large, spherical nest with a side entrance made of grass. Both parents incubate three to five eggs and feed the chicks.
Wildfile Specials
- Although a member of the cuckoo family, the white-browed coucal is not a brood parasite.
- Burchall's coucal, found further South, especially in South Afirca, is considered a sub-species by some and a full, separate species by others
- In south Africa,, according to folklore, this bird's haunting call (above) is a sign of impending rain. Burchell's cuckoo is sometimes called the rainbird.
