Illusive
The Burchell’s Coucal is more often heard than seen. Its call, which is a cascade of bubbling notes, usually emanates from the deep undergrowth, the habitat that this species prefers. It mainly calls in the morning, but it will also call throughout the day and even on moonlit nights. It is sometimes called the Rainbird because it calls before, during and after rains. This Coucal occurs in most of South Africa, except the arid west. It is common on the Highveld. It is found in thickets, reed-beds, coastal bush, along rivers, and in vleis. It clambers around thick vegetation, seldom flying. When it does fly, it makes a beeline between patches of the thick vegetation it prefers to inhabit. It may also run on the ground between the habitat patches, even crossing roads. It is not the most agile and graceful of birds!
