Birdsong field guide
Black Cuckoo
Cuculus clamosus
A medium-sized, secretive brood parasite known for its almost entirely melanistic plumage and mournful, repetitive vocalizations.
What it sounds like
A melancholy, rising three-note whistle often mnemonicized as 'I'm-so-sick' or 'Who-are-you'.
Field notes
- It is a brood parasite that primarily targets the nests of shrikes, specifically the Common Fiscal, and various boubous.
- Unlike many cuckoos, it specializes in eating toxic hairy caterpillars, occasionally regurgitating the lining of its stomach to remove accumulated spines.
- The species is an intra-African migrant, following seasonal rainfall patterns across the continent.
- While most adults are solid black, the subspecies C. c. gabonensis features heavy rufous and white barring on the underparts.
- The chick of a Black Cuckoo will typically eject the eggs or hatchlings of its host species to ensure its own survival.
Habitat
Dense woodlands, thickets, acacia scrub, and riverine forests.
Range
Sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from Senegal and Ethiopia south to South Africa.
Similar & commonly confused birds
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