Golden cuckoo

Golden cuckoo

We are delighted that Johannes and Maximilian Baller and Julia and Hendrik Domalski have taken on the sponsorship of the golden cuckoo (Chrysococcyx caprius).

The golden cuckoo belongs to the African representatives of the cuckoo family (Cuculidae). This species reaches a body length of a good 20 centimetres. Its second name "Diderik or Diederik cuckoo" refers to the male's song ("dii-dii-dii-dii-derik"). Its otherwise iridescent dark green plumage on the back, wings and chest shows a hint of copper, while the females have significantly more copper-coloured parts. The belly and thighs of both sexes are whitish in colour.

Like our native cuckoo, the golden cuckoo is a brood parasite, i.e. it seeks out the nests of various weaverbird species and lays a single egg there. The eggs of the "host family" are transported out of the nest. The rearing of the young bird, which leaves the nest after around 20 days, is left entirely to the host parents.

Insects and their larvae are its main food. It is interesting to note the golden cuckoo's preference for caterpillars - even those that other birds are reluctant to eat, e.g. hairy caterpillars, which it skins before swallowing.

The range of the golden cuckoo extends south of the Sahara from Senegal to Ethiopia and south to South Africa. It is a migratory bird within Africa, although its breeding range is limited to the lower latitudes. Its preferred habitat is sparse forests, semi-arid to humid tree and shrub savannahs near water. The golden cuckoo is completely absent in extremely dry regions.