- Centropus monachus
Identification
45–52 cm (17¾-20½ in)
- Crown and nape black with bluish iridescence in good light
- Chestnut lower back and wings
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
Centropus monachus has three subspecies[1]:
- C. m. occidentalis:
- Guinea and Ivory Coast east to southern Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and northern Angola; populations of the western and southern DRC variously attributed to occidentalis or to fisheri
- C. m. fischeri:
- C. m. monachus:
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, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- 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 28 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Blue-headed_Coucal
External Links
Search the Gallery using the scientific name:
Search the Gallery using the common name:
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
