Centropus grillii
The striking Black Coucal (*Centropus grillii*) is a medium-sized, glossy black bird native to sub-Saharan Africa, renowned for its unusual breeding strategy among cuckoos. Adults measure 29-34 cm (11-13 inches) in length and weigh between 100-180 grams, with females notably larger than males, displaying a rare instance of reversed sexual dimorphism. Its entirely black plumage, often with a subtle glossy sheen in good light, is contrasted by piercing red eyes and a robust, curved black bill, ...
Primarily inhabiting moist grasslands, marshy areas, reedbeds, and tall, dense savanna grasses, often near water bodies. Typically found at low to moderate elevations across its African range.
Feeds predominantly on large insects such as grasshoppers, caterpillars, beetles, and crickets, supplemented by small vertebrates including frogs, lizards, rodents, and bird eggs. It forages primarily by walking and gleaning on the ground or in dense vegetation.
Black Coucals are largely diurnal and crepuscular, often skulking low in dense vegetation, making them more frequently heard than seen. They forage by walking deliberately on the ground or through tangled undergrowth, gleaning large insects and small vertebrates with quick, darting movements. The...
The Black Coucal's extensive, though somewhat disjunct, range spans much of sub-Saharan Africa. It is found from Senegal and The Gambia east through Mali, Nigeria, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic, extending across the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Soma...
Least Concern
- The Black Coucal is one of the few bird species where the female is significantly larger and more dominant than the male, displaying reversed sexual dimorphism. - Unlike most cuckoos, Black Coucals are not brood parasitic; they build their own nests and raise their own young. - Females are poly...