Ceuthmochares australis
The Green Malkoha (Ceuthmochares australis) is a striking, medium-sized cuckoo endemic to the forests of East and Southern Africa, typically measuring 30-36 centimeters in length with a long, graduated tail. Its plumage is predominantly a glossy dark green to blue-green on the upperparts, wings, and tail, contrasting with a lighter greyish-green on its underparts. A key identifying field mark is its bright yellow-orange bill, often with a darker culmen, and a conspicuous patch of bare, vibran...
This species primarily inhabits dense broadleaf evergreen forests, riverine thickets, and woodland edges, favoring areas with tangled vegetation. It is typically found from sea level up to elevations of around 1,500 meters, though occasionally recorded higher.
Its diet mainly consists of large insects, particularly caterpillars, mantises, grasshoppers, and cicadas, which it gleans from foliage. It also supplements its diet with spiders, centipedes, small lizards, and occasionally some fruit.
The Green Malkoha is a diurnal and highly secretive bird, often observed singly or in pairs, creeping stealthily through dense foliage. It forages by clambering and climbing through vines and branches, gleaning insects and other invertebrates from leaves and bark with remarkable agility. While it...
The Green Malkoha has a wide and stable distribution across East and Southern Africa, where it is a resident species. Its breeding range extends from southern Somalia and coastal Kenya, southwards through Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The species also occurs in eastern Botsw...
Least Concern
- The Green Malkoha is one of the few non-brood-parasitic cuckoos in the world, building its own nest and raising its own young. - Its zygodactyl feet, with two toes pointing forward and two backward, are perfectly adapted for gripping branches and climbing through dense vegetation. - The name 'M...