Cercococcyx mechowi
The Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, *Cercococcyx mechowi*, is a slender, medium-sized cuckoo found in the dense rainforests of Central Africa, measuring approximately 30-33 cm in length, with its remarkably long, graduated tail contributing nearly half of its overall size. It weighs typically between 50-60 grams. Its plumage is generally dark greyish-brown to olive-brown on the upperparts, contrasting with paler, often whitish to buff underparts that are variably barred or mottled with dusky markin...
Found primarily in dense primary and secondary lowland rainforests, as well as gallery forests and thickets. It typically inhabits the undergrowth and mid-story, at elevations from sea level up to about 1600 meters.
Mainly insectivorous, feeding primarily on caterpillars, grasshoppers, beetles, and other arthropods. It forages by gleaning from foliage and occasionally sallying for prey.
The Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo is a highly secretive and elusive bird, spending most of its time in the dense understory where it moves deliberately, often flicking its long tail. It is diurnal but rarely observed, typically located by its distinctive vocalizations. Foraging involves gleaning insec...
The Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo is a resident species distributed across the dense tropical rainforests of Central and parts of West Africa. Its range extends from southeastern Nigeria and southern Cameroon, east through the Central African Republic, northern and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo...
Least Concern
- Its scientific name, *mechowi*, honors the German zoologist Richard von Mechow, who collected specimens in Africa. - The Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo is one of the most challenging cuckoo species to observe directly due to its extremely cryptic nature and preference for dense, tangled vegetation. -...