Black-throated Coucal Centropus leucogaster Scientific name definitions

46–58 cm; male 293 g, female 336 g. One of largest of African coucals. Adult black above and from head to breast; back barred buff, tail glossed blue, wings rufous-chestnut darker at tips; belly white with creamy wash on flanks; iris red, bill black, feet black to blue-grey. Juvenile like adult, but lacks gloss on head and breast, head, throat and breast with short buff shaft streaks, wings barred brown, belly buffy, tail more barred, iris grey or reddish brown, lower mandible horn. Race leucogaster glossed violet-blue; efulensis with blackish inner secondaries; neumanni as efulensis but smaller.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Dense undergrowth in forest edge, forest remnants, secondary forest, thickets, dense grass, especially along streams and at margins of raphia swamps, etc.; more numerous in heavy gallery forest and thick second growth than in primary forest. Lowland forest zone.

Resident.

Insects, including caterpillars, spiders, beetles, grasshoppers; also snails and frogs. Feeds on or near ground.

Song deep, bubbling, 10–20 notes slowing in tempo and falling in pitch, middle notes well spaced, final ones rising and speeding, in a “water-bottle” phrase; calls at night.

Breeds Dec in Sierra Leone, Nov in Liberia, Aug in Ghana, Jun–Nov in Cameroon, Mar–Dec in Uelle region of N Zaire. Nest a large ball of leaves and grass, lined with green leaves, up to 30 cm above ground in bush, in forest or in long grass. Eggs 2, white, elliptical; 38 x 28 mm. Nestling with dense white hair-like down above.

Not globally threatened. Fairly common in forests of lower Casamance in S Senegal; common in forest habitat in Nigeria, though rarely seen because of its skulking habits; in Sierra Leone, not uncommon in lowland forests and in suitable habitat in areas formerly covered by forest. Has been observed in Monts Mandingues in SW Mali; uncommon in Ghana, rare in Togo.