- Centropus monachus
Identification
Length 46 cm. Crown and nape black with bluish iridescence in good light.
Similar species
Larger and with less chestnut wings than Senegal Coucal; Smaller than Coppery-tailed Coucal and has unbarrred uppertail coverts.
Distribution
Africa south of the Sahara to Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania.
Taxonomy
Subspecies[1]
Centropus monachus has two subspecies:
- C. m. fischeri:
- Ivory Coast to western Kenya, southern Sudan, Ethiopia and northern Angola
- C. m. monachus:
An additional subspecies occidentalis, is not recognised by all authorities[1]
Habitat
Dense undergrowth in papyrus swamps and habitats close to water.
Behaviour
Breeding
Its nest is oval with a side entrance, built from sedges and grasses and lined with green leaves.
Diet
As well as carrion, they eat reptiles, amphibians, snakes, birds and their eggs; also rodents, insects and snails.
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Kenya Birds
- Sinclair, I and P Ryan. 2003. Birds of Africa South of the Sahara. Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0691118154
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Blue-headed Coucal. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Blue-headed_Coucal
