This is a long winged raptor with two tooth like indentations on the edge of the upper mandible and short pointed crest.  Because of its notched bill and mostly closely related to kites, the Aviceda species were related to falcons. It is also also known as Baza and Cuckoo-Falcon.

Following the bird’s sound and calls, the African Cuckoo Hawk gives a loud far carrying whistling calls “teee-oooo” and shorter ones (tittit-eoo) hence generally a noisy bird species before breeding.

African Cuckoo Hawk species inhabits dense woodland along with second growth forest mixed with areas that are cultivated however it is also found present in exotic plantations and more open savannah.

The bird species is categorized into three subspecies that differ in extent of barring, size and intensity of the colour of layer of feathers or plumage. These sub species include the A.c. cuculoides that is found in woodland areas from Senegal, Eithiopia, Nigeria and Northern Zaire.

The A.c.batesi which has heavy barring on the underparts and a darker upperparts  inhabits the lowland rainforest of Sierra Leone, Uganda and Northern Angola.

A.c. verreauxii is found in woodland and coastal, riparian and montane forests, from Kenya, S to N Namibia and South Africa. It has distinctive white barred wing lining.

Description of African Cuckoo Hawk

The adult African Cuckoo Hawk is characterized with a dark grey to blackish brown upperparts. Its also bares a black barred white rump and three grey bands on the black tail feathers along with a narrow greyish-white terminal band feathers.

African Cockoo hawk species features a narrowly barred paler grey and dark grey flight feathers. Its is a medium sized bird species having a weight ranging between 220 and 296 grams. The bird species is 40 centimeters long with wingspan measuring about 91 centimetres.

This African Cuckoo bird bares underparts which are characterized with a pale grey throat, upper breast and chin hence the underwing coverts and lower breast are whitish in colour with broadly dark barred rufous. It features white undertail coverts, lower belly and vent.

This bird species is also characterized with a slightly paler face on the pale grey head  which has a small crest that is often folded with rufous patch on the nape and pale centre.

It comprises of the black bill with deep yellow cere and double notched cutting. The African Cockoo hawk has deep red-brown eyes in male and yellowish in female hence baring deep yellowish short bare legs and feet.

Description of the juvenile  and Sub-adult African Cockoo Hawk

Both sexes have similar layer of feathers or plumage and size apart from the eyes. Juvenile African Cockoo hawk comprises brown upper parts with feathers that are pale rufous on the tips. This Juvenile bares a heavily streaked black , white underparts which are mostly spotted on flanks.

It has a white streaking on the forehead, crown and eyebrow. It also bares a white throat having indistinct brown streaks hence comprises of a dark brown masked face with less conspicuous face than in adults and dark brown eyes.

African Cockoo hawk sub-adult bird resembles the adult species but it is characterized with pale yellowish eyes and  a rufous-tinged chest and finely barred grey underparts.