Photo: Maans Booysen, Birding Weto / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
African Emerald Cuckoo
Chrysococcyx cupreus
African Emerald Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx cupreus) — Cuckoos & Turacos of Africa.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The African Emerald Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx cupreus) is a member of the Cuculidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 37.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Cuculiformes
- Family Cuculidae Cuckoos
- Genus Chrysococcyx
- Species cupreus
Where it lives
Senegal and Gambia to South Sudan and Ethiopia, south to Angola and eastern South Africa
Quick facts
- Weight
- 37.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cuculidae
- Order
- Cuculiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The African Emerald Cuckoo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The African Emerald Cuckoo is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The African Emerald Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx cupreus) belongs to the Cuculidae family of the order Cuculiformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF Senegal and Gambia to South Sudan and Ethiopia, s to Angola and e South Africa.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 37.7 g, with a wing length of about 10.6 cm and a tail of around 9.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 11.4 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the African Emerald Cuckoo?
The African Emerald Cuckoo is a small bird that weighs around 37.7 g.
Where does the African Emerald Cuckoo live?
The African Emerald Cuckoo is found across Africa with a range covering AF Senegal and Gambia to South Sudan and Ethiopia, s to Angola and e South Africa, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the African Emerald Cuckoo belong to?
The African Emerald Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx cupreus) belongs to the Cuculidae family, in the order Cuculiformes.
What does the African Emerald Cuckoo eat?
The African Emerald Cuckoo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the African Emerald Cuckoo migrate?
The African Emerald Cuckoo is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the African Emerald Cuckoo endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the African Emerald Cuckoo make?
1 real field recording of the African Emerald Cuckoo — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the African Emerald Cuckoo's range?
The African Emerald Cuckoo has a mapped global range of about 11.4 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Cuculidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Cuckoos & Turacos
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern