Red-chested Cuckoo

Cuculus solitarius

The Red-chested Cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family. It is a medium-sized bird, found in Africa south of the Sahara. In Afrikaans, it is known as "Piet-my-vrou", after its call.
Red-chested cuckoo Although this bird is a regular summer visitor and seems to be around constantly, it is extremely hard to photograph as it flits so quickly from tree to tree and generally high up. This is the best I have managed this year. Cuculus solitarius,Geotagged,Red-chested Cuckoo,South Africa,Spring,birds,cuckoos,migrants,south africa

Distribution

It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. In Southern Africa it is a common breeding migrant, found throughout the area except for the drier west.

The preferred habitats for the Red-chested Cuckoo are woodlands. The Red-chested Cuckoo is normally seen by itself rather than in the company of birds of the same species.
Red-chested Cuckoo Marginally better photo than my last one but as this bird spends the majority of its time high up in the trees, I think this is the best I am going to get! A summer visitor to South Africa this cuckoo has a very distinctive call and in SA they call it 'Piet my Vrou' which literally means 'Peter my Wife' as this is what the call sounds like (apparently). All I can say is that the call is incessant and it call start up at any time of day or night and continue non-stop for hours on end. Cuculus solitarius,Geotagged,Red-chested Cuckoo,South Africa

Behavior

It is usually solitary and highly vocal and lives on forests and plantations. It eats insects.

The Red-chested Cuckoo takes on more than a single mate. The nesting habit of Red-chested Cuckoo is to use the nest of another bird. The surrogate family then raise the chicks. The bird lays eggs which are brown in colour and number between 20 eggs per season in different nests.
Red-chested cuckoo For the past four years, starting in spring, this cuckoo calls from dawn to dusk near my house. For the past four years I have been trying to get a decent shot. It taunts me, every single day from spring through summer it taunts me. Either being just out of range or hiding behind foliage. For the past four years I have managed a few terrible photos. This is this years offering! Cuculus solitarius,Red-chested Cuckoo,South Africa,birds,cuckoos

Habitat

It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. In Southern Africa it is a common breeding migrant, found throughout the area except for the drier west.

The preferred habitats for the Red-chested Cuckoo are woodlands. The Red-chested Cuckoo is normally seen by itself rather than in the company of birds of the same species.

References:

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Status: Least concern
EX EW CR EN VU NT LC
Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionChordata
ClassAves
OrderCuculiformes
FamilyCuculidae
GenusCuculus
SpeciesC. solitarius
Photographed in
Kenya
South Africa