Listen to the African cuckoo
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the African cuckoo
The African cuckoo is a bird in the family Cuculidae (order Cuculiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults weigh around 3 g.
What does the African cuckoo sound like?
Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round. Listening for both helps with identification.
The recordings here are labelled as call. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
The African cuckoo or African grey cuckoo (Cuculus gularis) is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa where it migrates within the continent, generally arriving and breeding in any one locality during the rainy season. A fairly common bird, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Related birds in the genus Cuculus
More from the family Cuculidae
Frequently asked questions
What does an African cuckoo sound like?
You can hear 1 recording of the African cuckoo on this page, including its call. Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round.
Is the African cuckoo endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the African cuckoo as “least concern”.
What family does the African cuckoo belong to?
The African cuckoo (Cuculus gularis) belongs to the family Cuculidae in the order Cuculiformes.
Sources & credits
- Call · kikatiti, Meru, Arusha Region, Tanzania by paulo kivuyo – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q1272649 – CC0
- Wikipedia: African cuckoo – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Flickr user Alastair Rae . Photo uploaded to commons by user ltshears – CC BY-SA 2.0