Red-chested Cuckoo

Cuculus solitarius Stephens, 1815

Cuculidae — Cuckoos

Red-chested Cuckoo, Cuculus solitarius, is a cuckoo in the family Cuculidae and breeds widely across Africa. It was described by Stephens in 1815. In southern Africa it is a regular breeding migrant, though it is absent from the drier west. It is usually seen alone and is linked with woodland, forests and plantations. The bird is known in Afrikaans as Piet-my-vrou, a name taken from its call. It is also a brood parasite, placing its eggs in the nests of other small birds, with the Cape robin-chat, Cape wagtail and white-throated robin-chat among the usual hosts.

Order: Cuculiformes
Family: Cuculidae — Cuckoos
Breeding range: Africa: widespread