The Senegal Coucal, Centropus senegalensis, is a medium-sized bird in the cuckoo family and is commonly found throughout central and southern Africa.

Description

It grows up to at 39 cm (15 in) in length and it has a black crown, nape, bill, legs and long black tail. The eyes are red, the wings are a lovely chestnut brown, and the underparts are creamy white, with blackish barring on the flanks. The sexes are very similar. Juveniles are browner and more heavily barred, with buff barred and streaked underparts.

Diet

The Senegal Coucal eats a wide variety of insects, caterpillars and small vertebrates, although it will occasionally snack on other food items.

Breeding

Coucals nest off the ground in low vegetation, and the female typically lays a clutch of two to four eggs. The nest, quite large, is built from stalks and leaves.

I have watched as Coucals, straying too close to nesting areas or food sources, have been mobbed and chased off by a small herd of raucous BulBuls – relatively small birds.