White-browed coucal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids White-browed coucal |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Centropus
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| Species: |
superciliosus
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The white-browed coucal is a special kind of cuckoo bird. It's also called the lark-heeled cuckoo. Its scientific name is Centropus superciliosus. You can find this bird in many parts of Africa, especially south of the Sahara Desert. It likes to live in places with lots of thick bushes and plants, like coastal areas. Sometimes, people think Burchell's coucal is a type of white-browed coucal.
What Does the White-browed Coucal Look Like?
This bird is a medium size, usually about 36 to 42 centimeters long. Both male and female coucals look quite similar. Adult birds have a dark, almost black, head and neck. They have a clear white stripe above their eyes, which looks like an eyebrow.
Their back is a reddish-brown color. Their wings are a rich chestnut brown. The lower back and tail are dark, almost black, with a green shine. The tip of their tail is white.
The belly and chest of the coucal are a creamy-white color. They have bright red eyes and a black beak. Their legs and feet are greyish-black or black.
Young Coucals
Young coucals, called juveniles, look a bit different. They have reddish streaks on their head. The white stripe above their eye is not as clear. Their upper body has stripes, and their underparts are darker than the adults.
Where Do White-browed Coucals Live?
The white-browed coucal lives in eastern and southern Africa. You can also find them in the southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula. Their home range includes many countries in Africa. These include Angola, Botswana, and Kenya. They also live in Malawi, Namibia, and Somalia. Other countries are South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. In the Arabian Peninsula, they are found in Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
This bird is very common and lives in a large area. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says it is a "least-concern species". This means they are not worried about it becoming endangered soon.
