Silhouette: Nicolas Huet le Jeune and Jean-Gabriel Prêtre (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic

Red-chested Cuckoo

Cuculus solitarius

Silhouette: Nicolas Huet le Jeune and Jean-Gabriel Prêtre (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderCuculiformes (Cuckoos)
FamilyCuculidae (Cuckoos)
GenusCuculus (Typical Old World Cuckoos)
SpeciesCuculus solitarius (Red-chested Cuckoo)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Moremi Game Reserve

3 Verified sightings at Moremi Game Reserve From 2019 to 2026

6,882 Verified sightings across all 49 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Red-chested Cuckoo

The red-chested cuckoo (Cuculus solitarius) is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. 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. The red-chested cuckoo is a medium-size cuckoo about 31 cm (12.2 in) in length. The male has slate-grey upper parts, pale grey throat and sides of head and dark grey tail tipped with white. The breast is rufous or cinnamon, often with barring, and the belly is creamy-white or pale buff. The female is similar but the colour of the breast is duller and with variable amounts of barring.

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, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, 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... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Moremi Game Reserve

Cuculus clamosus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Cuculus gularis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Centropus cupreicaudus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Centropus senegalensis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Clamator levaillantii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Centropus grillii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Clamator jacobinus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Centropus superciliosus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Chrysococcyx caprius

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Clamator glandarius

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Chrysococcyx klaas

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

See all 11 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Kibale National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~30%
2	Semuliki National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~30%
3	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~30%
4	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~20%
5	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~20%
6	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
7	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~20%
8	Golden Gate Highlands National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
9	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~20%
10	Mkomazi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
11	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
12	Bwindi Impenetrable National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
13	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
14	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	~10%
15	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
16	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
17	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
18	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
19	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
20	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
21	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
22	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
23	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
24	Gorongosa National Park	🇲🇿 Mozambique	~10%
25	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~10%
26	Volcanoes National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~10%
27	Meru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
28	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
29	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~10%
30	Aberdare National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
31	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
32	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
33	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	<5%
34	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	<5%
35	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
36	Kidepo Valley National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
37	Lower Zambezi National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	<5%
38	Mana Pools National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	<5%
39	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
40	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
41	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
42	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	<5%
43	Nyungwe National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	<5%
44	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
45	Bale Mountains National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	Insufficient data
46	Selous Game Reserve	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
47	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	Insufficient data
48	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
49	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	Insufficient data

← Back to Moremi Game Reserve

Red-chested Cuckoo

About the Red-chested Cuckoo

Recent sightings of Red-chested Cuckoo in Moremi Game Reserve

Closest Relatives at Moremi Game Reserve

Black Cuckoo

African Cuckoo

Coppery-tailed Coucal

Senegal Coucal

Levaillant's Cuckoo

Black Coucal

Jacobin Cuckoo

White-browed Coucal

Dideric Cuckoo

Great Spotted Cuckoo

Klaas's Cuckoo

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found