Black cuckoo
| Black cuckoo | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Cuculiformes |
| Family: | Cuculidae |
| Genus: | Cuculus |
| Species: | C. clamosus |
| Binomial name | |
| Cuculus clamosus Latham, 1801 | |
The black cuckoo (Cuculus clamosus) is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family. The species is distributed widely across sub-Saharan Africa.
Description
The black cuckoo is a medium-sized cuckoo. The plumage varies by subspecies, Cuculus clamosus clamosus is either almost entirely black with a white buff on the chest or entirely black; Cuculus clamosus gabonensis is mostly black with a red throat and black and white barring on the belly.
Distribution
The subspecies Cuculus clamosus gabonensis is a resident in Central Africa, whereas the Southern African subspecies Cuculus clamosus clamosus is migratory, breeding in Southern Africa in September to December, then moving in March to Central, Eastern and West Africa.
Breeding
The black cuckoo is a brood parasite. Its main hosts are bushshrikes, particularly the tropical boubou and crimson-breasted shrike.
References
- ↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Cuculus clamosus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
External links
- Black cuckoo - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds.