Pachycoccyx audeberti
The Thick-billed Cuckoo (Pachycoccyx audeberti) is a strikingly large and robust member of the cuckoo family (Cuculidae), distinguished by its formidable, heavy bill - a key field mark that sets it apart from other cuckoos. Measuring approximately 34-36 cm (13-14 inches) in length with a long tail, adults exhibit a grayish head and upperparts, contrasting with a creamy to whitish belly and a dark, barred tail. Juveniles possess a unique rufous barring on their underparts and upperparts, offer...
This cuckoo primarily inhabits open woodlands, gallery forests, and mature savanna with tall trees, often preferring areas near rivers or clearings. It is typically found at lower to mid-altitudes, up to around 1,500 meters (5,000 feet).
Primarily insectivorous, the Thick-billed Cuckoo feeds largely on large caterpillars, grasshoppers, and other sizable insects, often caught directly from foliage or in flight.
The Thick-billed Cuckoo is a largely solitary and often shy bird, primarily active during daylight hours, typically observed high in the canopy or perched conspicuously while calling. Its foraging strategy involves actively searching for prey, often large insects, among the foliage, or making aer...
The Thick-billed Cuckoo has a fragmented and disjunct distribution across sub-Saharan Africa, primarily occurring in several distinct populations. Breeding occurs in patches from Guinea-Bissau eastward to Ethiopia and Somalia, and then south through parts of Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, ...
Near Threatened
- The Thick-billed Cuckoo is the sole species in its genus, *Pachycoccyx*, making it taxonomically unique among cuckoos. - Its scientific name, *Pachycoccyx audeberti*, translates roughly to "thick-billed cuckoo of Audebert," honoring French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Audebert. - Unlike many cuckoo...