What to Know About the Leviallant’s Cuckoo in Uganda?

The Levaillant’s Cuckoo in Uganda is one of the African birds in Uganda seen during birding safaris in Uganda. The Levaillant’s Cuckoo is included in the subfamily Cuculinae, in the large family Cuculidae. This subfamily gathers the Old World parasitic cuckoos.

This species is a brood parasite and the female lay her eggs in the nests of some babbler species of genus Turdoides and weighs between 100-140g, length varies from 38-40cm.

Its main food consists of hairy caterpillars. It is relatively common throughout its range particularly in Semuliki forest national Park-Uganda, with currently stable population.

Its name pays tribute to the French ornithologist, explorer and collector François Le Vaillant (1753-1824).

How Does the Leviallant’s Cuckoo in Uganda Look Like?

The adult has black upperparts with greenish-blue sheen. On closed wings, we can see a conspicuous white patch at primary bases.

In flight, it appears like a white wing bar. On the long, graduated tail, the rectrices show broad, white terminal spots.

On the underparts, there is a characteristic bold black streaking on chin, throat and breast, contrasting with the whitish underparts.

The belly may vary from whitish to creamy-white. The underwing is blackish with conspicuous white wing bar at primary bases.

On the under tail, the rectrices are broadly tipped white. The head is black on crown, nape, eye’s area and ear-coverts.

The malar area is streaked black like chin and throat. There is a shaggy spiky crest made of several long black feathers.

The bill is black. The eyes are dark brown. Legs and zygodactylous feet are blue-grey.

Male and female are similar.

The juvenile has brown to rufous upperparts with dark brown wings. The white wing patch is more extended than on adults.

The tail is mostly greyish-brown with pale rufous tips. The underparts are whitish to buffy, but chin, throat and breast are dull brown with indistinct black streaks on breast.

The eyes are pale grey. A rare melanistic form can be found in coastal E Africa, with all-black plumage, white wing patch and much reduced tail tips. The under tail-coverts may appear white sometimes.

How Does the Leviallant’s Cuckoo in Uganda Sing and Make Calls?

The Levaillant’s Cuckoo is extremely noisy in forested areas. It has a far-carrying, unusual voice and it is more often heard than seen.

The calls are usually heard during the rainy season and at the beginning of the dry period. It gives series of fluting “peee-u-peee-u” notes, and maintains them for some time.

These calls are sometimes piercing. They are often followed by a fading chatter “atack-tacka-tacka”. We can also hear loud “klee-klee-kleeuu” followed by descending “che-che-che-che”.

The begging call of the young cuckoo often resembles the begging call of a young babbler, the host species, a harsh chattering “ker, ker, ker…”

How Does the Leviallant’s Cuckoo in Uganda Feed?

The Levaillant’s Cuckoo feeds primarily on hairy caterpillars (Lepidoptera larvae), but it also takes beetle larvae, grasshoppers and flying termites.

Some plant matter such as berries and shoots of young trees are added to its diet. It is mainly arboreal and forages in trees and bushes.

However, it can be seen hopping on the ground while searching for food.

How Does the Leviallant’s Cuckoo in Uganda Nest?

The Levaillant’s Cuckoo is a brood parasite and does not build a nest.

How Does the Leviallant’s Cuckoo in Uganda Breed?

The Levaillant’s Cuckoo breeds during the rainy season, and this period coincides with the breeding season of the host species including several babbler of genus Turdoides.

The courtship displays of this species are poorly known, but we can suggest that the crest is raised, the long-graduated tail is fanned to enhance the white terminal patches, and the wings are broadly spread to display the white wing patch.

In some cuckoo species, the male may offer a caterpillar to the female before mating. These displays are accompanied by calls from both mates.

How does the Leviallant’s Cuckoo in Uganda reproduce?

The female lays her egg in the host’s nest while the male is distracting them. She sneaks into their nest and lays her egg before they return to their nest-site. She may sometimes eject or puncture the host’s eggs.

Unlike numerous cuckoo species, the chick often remains peacefully with the nestlings of the host, and does not eject them from the nest is its mother left them.

It leaves the nest about 9-10 days after hatching. Its foster parents feed it for 3-4 weeks before it can be fully independent.