Black Coucal
Black Coucal

Black Coucal

Centropus grillii

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

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Ngorongoro Conservation Area
21 Verified sightings at Ngorongoro Conservation Area From 2019 to 2026
891 Verified sightings across all 30 parks From 2019 to 2026
May Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Black Coucal

The black coucal (Centropus grillii) is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It has a wide distribution in Africa south of the Sahara. The male black coucal is 30 cm (12 in) in length while the female is 34 cm (13 in), otherwise they are similar in appearance. In breeding plumage the head, body and tail are black, apart from some buff barring on the rump, and the wings are rufous. Outside the breeding season, the upper parts are dark brown with rufous barring. The eyes are brown and the beak and legs are black. Juveniles are rufous with various dark and light barring and streaking.

It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, DRC, Ivory Coast, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It is resident in some locations and migrant in others. Its habitat is marshes, savannah, grassland, bracken, undergrowth, and clearings in woodland, and occasionally reeds and papyrus... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Ngorongoro Conservation Area

White-browed Coucal
LC

White-browed Coucal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Centropus superciliosus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Dideric Cuckoo
LC

Dideric Cuckoo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chrysococcyx caprius

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Red-chested Cuckoo
LC

Red-chested Cuckoo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cuculus solitarius

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Jacobin Cuckoo
LC

Jacobin Cuckoo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Clamator jacobinus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Great Spotted Cuckoo
LC

Great Spotted Cuckoo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Clamator glandarius

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Klaas's Cuckoo
LC

Klaas's Cuckoo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chrysococcyx klaas

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
African Cuckoo
LC

African Cuckoo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cuculus gularis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
African Emerald Cuckoo
LC

African Emerald Cuckoo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chrysococcyx cupreus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Common Cuckoo
LC

Common Cuckoo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cuculus canorus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Levaillant's Cuckoo
LC

Levaillant's Cuckoo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Clamator levaillantii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Black Cuckoo
LC

Black Cuckoo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cuculus clamosus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%
2 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
3 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
4 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
5 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
6 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
7 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
8 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
9 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
10 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
<5%
11 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
12 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
13 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
14 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
15 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
16 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
Insufficient data
17 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
18 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
19 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
20 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
Insufficient data
21 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
Insufficient data
22 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
23 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
24 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
Insufficient data
25 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
26 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
27 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
28 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
29 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
30 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Black Coucal in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black Coucal sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Black Coucal in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?

May has the highest sighting rate for Black Coucal in Ngorongoro Conservation Area in our monthly data.

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