Burchell's CoucalCentropus burchellii Gewone vleiloerieCentropus burchellii Swainson, 1838 (1837), Anim. Menag., p321; S Africa= Cape Province. burchellii = after naturalist andexplorer, William Burchell (1778-1863). 1. C. b. burchellii; 2. C. b. fasciipygialis. |
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Adult Rietvlei Dam NR, Gauteng, Jan 2006 Photo Bruce Ward-Smith (D) |
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| DISTRIBUTION: From se Tanzania south through Mozambique to the sw W Cape. In s Africa, c and s Mozambique, e Zimbabwe, se Botswana, Swaziland and most of S Africa apart from the arid west; rare in high-altitude grasslands6,7. Starts slowly at ca 4 notes/sec, then quickens; finally, notes merge and fade away. Given individually or in duet. Varies with region, context and sex. Also gives a hooting call, but context unknown. In aggression, gives explosive and repetitive cluck. Hisses in alarm14. Nestlings beg with buzzing call14. Range expanded south-westwards in 1900s in response to changes in land use; colonised Cape Town, W Cape, where now fairly common, by ca 195013. |
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POPULATION & DEMOGRAPHY: Fairly common to common. Few data on survivorship and longevity; oldest bird (ringed as ad) recovered after 3 yr, another after 2 yr 5 mo14. Recent recoveries and recaptures (n = 13) all of birds < 2.5 yr15. Age of first br probably 1 yr. |
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MOVEMENTS: Resident and sedentary, but gathers at sites with temporarily abundant food. 12 ads recovered < 3 km from ringing site14,15. Some juv dispersal; 2 recovered 14 km and 19 km from ringing site14,15. HABITAT: Rank vegetation where rainfall > 600 mm/yr, incl thickets, reedbeds, coastal bush, ecotones between woodland or forest and grassland, along rivers and at vleis. Common in well-vegetated suburban gardens. |
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