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Coppery-Tailed, Burchell’s or Senegal Coucal, Charara, nr Kariba, Zimbabwe (1 Viewer)

chirundu

chirundu

Well-known member
Coppery-Tailed, Burchell’s or Senegal Coucal? Charara, nr Kariba, Zimbabwe

Burchells-Coucal-Centropus-burchelli.jpg

Hi there,

I hope that someone can help me with the id of this Coucal. I spotted it walking in the bush not far from Charara near lake Kariba in Zimbabwe.

At the time I thought nothing of it, assuming it was the Senegal Coucal (Centropus senegalensis) which is fairly common.

But once I got home and started going through my pics, I noticed that it has a barred tail base which makes me think it is the Burchell’s Coucal (Centropus burchelli) - and that is what I have currently labeled it as. The problem is, according to my Sasol and Roberts books, should not be found anywhere near this far north west.

Another option is that it is the Coppery-Tailed Coucal (Centropus cupreicaudus), which has the barring but I feel should have a more coppery sheen to it. If it is this bird then it to is also far from home as it is only usually found in northern Botswana.

I would be very grateful for any help or advice that anyone can give.
 
Last edited:
njlarsen said:
I don't have my books in front of me, but what about immature SC? Do they have barring that disappear on the adult?

Niels

PS from our Opus page: Juveniles are duller and barred above
http://www.birdforum.net/opus/Senegal_Coucal
Click to expand...

Hi Niels,

Many thanks for the reply and you make a good point, but as you say, immature Senegal Coucals are barred above the tail, wher the photo I took clearly shows barring on the tail base.

What is interesting and something that I have just noticed is in the Roberts Bird Guide, they show a picture of an immature Burchell's and point out that it has a white eyebrow, which is exactly what the bird has in my photo.

None of the other Coucals.... apart from the White-browed Coucal (Centropus superciliosus) seem to have this and guess what they are actually found in this area. What initially made me reject this option is the photos in my guide book that seem to suggest that if it was a White-browed Coucal, it should have more streaked foreparts than the one that I took a photo of.

However looking at this photo from the internet bird collection: http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/white-browed-coucal-centropus-superciliosus/rare-sight-open-shy-bird

I now think that it may indeed be a White-browed Coucal .. or possibly a fairly immature Burchell's?
 
Last edited:
rockfowl said:
Looks like a Burchell's Coucal to me - http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/white-browed-coucal-centropus-superciliosus/rare-sight-open-shy-bird
Click to expand...

Hi Mark - many thanks for this link, however it shows a White-browed Coucal (Centropus superciliosus) and not the Burchell's

However, it IS found on the northern borders of Zimbabwe according to my guide books and as you say looks a whole lot like the bird I took a photo of - so would actually make more sense than a Burchell's.
 
chirundu said:
Hi Mark - many thanks for this link, however it shows a White-browed Coucal (Centropus superciliosus) and not the Burchell's.
Click to expand...

The bird Mark has linked to and your bird are both Burchell's.

The Coucal on the IBC is indeed labelled White-browed coucal. But next to the locality (Kruger NP), you'll see that the photographer has specified it belongs to ssp burchelli (= Burchell's coucal).

This is a taxonomic issue more than anything else. Burchell's is variously treated as ssp of White-browed or a species on its own right.

It is not rare for Burchell's to show a thin white supercilium and/or white streaks on the nape/mantle reminiscent of White-browed, as demonstrated by your bird and the bird from Kruger.
Look up for images of White-browed coucal on the net, you'll see that the head is brown, not black, the supercilium is broader and there are many more white streaks on the back/nape: http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/white-browed-coucal-centropus-superciliosus/bird-ground

Your bird is a typical adult Burchell's in every respect.
 
Tib78 said:
The bird Mark has linked to and your bird are both Burchell's.

The Coucal on the IBC is indeed labelled White-browed coucal. But next to the locality (Kruger NP), you'll see that the photographer has specified it belongs to ssp burchelli (= Burchell's coucal).

This is a taxonomic issue more than anything else. Burchell's is variously treated as ssp of White-browed or a species on its own right.

It is not rare for Burchell's to show a thin white supercilium and/or white streaks on the nape/mantle reminiscent of White-browed, as demonstrated by your bird and the bird from Kruger.
Look up for images of White-browed coucal on the net, you'll see that the head is brown, not black, the supercilium is broader and there are many more white streaks on the back/nape: http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/white-browed-coucal-centropus-superciliosus/bird-ground

Your bird is a typical adult Burchell's in every respect.
Click to expand...

Hi there,

Many thanks for clarifying this and for taking the time to explain it all. I am glad that I now have a positive id and it is very interesting that I managed to capture a Burchell's right up on the northern border of Zimbabwe.

If you or anyone else is interested, you can read more about my trip up to Charara, which includes a full check list of birds I identified and many of the other photos that I managed to capture here:

http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.co...we-with-swarovski-cl-companion-binoculars-01/
 
Tib78 said:
Look up for images of White-browed coucal on the net, you'll see that the head is brown, not black, the supercilium is broader and there are many more white streaks on the back/nape: http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/white-browed-coucal-centropus-superciliosus/bird-ground

Your bird is a typical adult Burchell's in every respect.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, The first image on this page of White-browed (which treat the Burchell's as a subspecies) is supposed to be of a nominate subspecies superciliosus and has a black head??? Or maybe I am misunderstanding what you are trying to say, because I also see a black crown on the picture at Lynxeds.
http://www.birdforum.net/opus/Burchell's_Coucal

Niels
 
Thanks Tib. I am sitting with my travel laptop so that might be another cause of differences, maybe the screen is not perfect for interpreting colors.

Niels
 
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