Burchell’s Coucal

Burchell's coucal (Centropus burchellii) is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in the southeastern parts of sub-Saharan Africa. It inhabits areas with thick cover afforded by rank undergrowth and scrub, including in suitable coastal regions. Common names include gewone vleiloerie in Afrikaans and umGugwane or uFukwe in Zulu. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the white-browed coucal, which replaces it to the north and west. The juvenile plumages and calls of the two taxa are hardly distinguishable. The species is named after the British naturalist William John Burchell. == Subspecies == Two subspecies are recognized: Centropus burchellii burchellii — southeastern Botswana, Eswatini, western Lesotho, southern Mozambique and South Africa (all nine provinces, though excluding the dry interior) Centropus burchellii fasciipygialis — northwards of the Limpopo River: southeastern Zimbabwe, central and northern Mozambique, southern Malawi (southwards of Viphya Plateau) and southeastern Tanzania (including Mafia Island) C. b. fasciipygialis has starker plumage colours, the head being solid black and the underparts whiter, besides less streaking caused by contrasting feather shafts. In adults the barred rump and tail covert feathers distinguishes it from the white-browed coucal. == Habits == This common resident of southern Africa is usually…