African Emerald Cuckoo
Chrysococcyx cupreus
Small, slim, forest cuckoo. Male is a gorgeous emerald green with yellow on the belly. Female is much duller and heavily barred, with hints of green on the rufous back. Found in moist forest, from sea level up to fairly high elevations. Inconspicuous canopy-dwelling species that is usually located by call, a distinctive “pre-ty, geor-gio”. Separated from other small green cuckoos by its lack of a white eyebrow or throat.
Identification
The African emerald cuckoo is sexually dimorphic. The males have a green back and head with a yellow breast. Females are barred green and brown on their backs and green and white on their breasts. The African emerald cuckoo can also be identified by its call, a four-note whistle with the mnemonic device of “Hello Ju-dy.”
Taxonomy
Genus: Chrysococcyx; Family: Cuculidae; Order: Cuculiformes.
- Scientific name
- Chrysococcyx cupreus
- Authority
- (Shaw, 1792)
- Order
- Cuculiformes
- Family
- Cuculidae
- Genus
- Chrysococcyx
Range and habitat
Its range covers most of sub-Saharan Africa, including Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, DRC, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Migration pattern: Complete migrants.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Ruff
Calidris pugnax
A bizarre and unique shorebird. Medium-sized with fairly short, slightly drooped bill. Leg color varies from dull greenish to bright orange; bill can be entirely dark or mostly orange. Plumage highly variable, especially breeding males, which have fancy neck ruffs that can be black, white, buffy, reddish-brown, or any combination thereof. Females and nonbreeding birds can be confusing, usually plain grayish-brown overall, sometimes with blotchy markings on the neck and belly. Juveniles are bright buffy with neat scaly patterning on the upperparts. Flight often rather lazy, with deep floppy wingbeats; note white underwings, white sides to rump, and feet projecting well past tail. Males are much larger than females. Breeds in bogs and wet grassy meadows across northern Eurasia; winters mainly in Africa but also across India and Southeast Asia. Migrants occur in almost any wetland habitat, from reservoirs and fields to coastal mudflats. Feeds by probing and picking, often while in shallow water. Rare but regular vagrant to North America, usually single birds found among flocks of yellowlegs.
Vogelkop Lophorina
Lophorina superba
A fairly large bird of mid-montane forest. Male, mainly black plumage with 2 remarkable erectile fans which are lifted up over the head during its display. Metallic, blue-green, trapezium-shaped breast shield and patches above the eyes. Female has a dark brown back, barred underparts and a black head. Adult male is unmistakeable, but female is distinguished from Western Parotia female by its smaller size and Magnificent Bird-of-Paradise female by its larger size and black bill. The male’s yellow-green mouth interior is visible while it gives its piercing nasal screech.
Gough Island Finch
Rowettia goughensis
A large striking finch with a dagger-like bill and different looking sexes. Male is mostly olive with a black throat and yellow eye-ring and moustache; female is brownish and lacks the black throat. Juvenile similar to female but heavily streaked. A critically endangered species endemic to Gough Island, where it is the only songbird; pairs and family groups are widespread on the island, preferring areas above 300 meters of elevation. Male sings a high-pitched whistle, while female answers with a chatter.
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