Diderick Cuckoo (1 Viewer)

L

leon

Well-known member

• May 27, 2004

• #1

I have been looking to see a diderick all my life, mainly due to is lovely call (too me second only to the call of the fish eagle). I tried to follow the call and thought I saw the bird. Once I came home and looked at the picture I was disapointed, as I am not sure if this is a Diderick at all, but then I can't find any bird in my guide which looks like this.

Is this then maybe an imature diderick cuckcoo (Chrysoccyx caprius)?

I don't see a white line trough the eye, the beak is black, and the wing pattern is totally wrong. So it can't be a diderick. The wing patern reminds me of a Southern Boubou.

The bird was shot at potchefstroom (150km west of Johannesburg)

I don't have any more information, the bird was only visible to me for a few seconds.

Please help?

 

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Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening

Supporter

• May 27, 2004

• #2

I wonder if this might be a juvenile Southern Boubou. I've not seen any juveniles and they're not illustrated in my SASOL guide, but it says they're 'mottled buff brown above and barred below'. I don't think it's a cuckoo.

 

L

leon

Well-known member

• May 27, 2004

• #3

The upper and lower bill seem to be exactly the same size on the image. I'm not sure of the immature Boubou, but the adults upper is slightly longer (with a tip) ?

 

Rasmus Boegh

BF member

• May 27, 2004

• #4

I'm voting for the juv. or imm. Southern Boubou aswell. The wing patch is one good hint. Another is the tip of the tail. It appears divided like in a Southern Boubou...

 

Last edited: May 27, 2004

L

leon

Well-known member

• May 27, 2004

• #5

The more I look at it, I must agree the more it appears to be a Southern Boubou, The tails is exactly right, and the wingpatern. I suppose it only requires the beak when it starts to hunt for itself. I often see Boubou around, with a white to brownish chests, haven't seen one like this before.

Aha well, still no Diderick. I will have to look harder. You can hear their call for miles, but see them, no.

 

Rasmus Boegh

BF member

• May 27, 2004

• #6

leon said:

Aha well, still no Diderick. I will have to look harder. You can hear their call for miles, but see them, no.

Click to expand...

I ended up using a whole day on tracking down a single singing individual... and, finally succeeded. So, it may not be easy, but it certainly is possible. Good luck...

 

Andrew

wibble wibble

• May 27, 2004

• #7

I remember seeing a Deiderick's Cuckoo at the Sabaki Mouth in Kenya in the scrub. My guide went ape when he saw it. Not being local I did not grasp the scale of it being a locally respectable sighting. I just savoured the views.

 

D

Dan drough

Well-known member

• Jul 6, 2004

• #8

Diederick's are very common in Bonny Island Nigeria - all over the place and I often saw them remove eggs from Village Weaver nests.
Often used to lie on the grass watching them chase each other aroound and remember a Chattering cisticola furiously "shouting" at one from about 12" away from the Diederick!
Great birds!

 

D

Dan drough

Well-known member

• Jul 6, 2004

• #9

Here are a couple of pics

 

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Rasmus Boegh

BF member

• Jul 6, 2004

• #10

Great photos!

Will have to visit central Africa at some point - if for nothing else; those Picathartes... yes, for anyone who haven't yet discovered; I am a (admittedly rather crazy ) "family collector"!