The Diederik Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx caprius) was formerly the Didric Cuckoo. It lives in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Diederik Cuckoo is a small cuckoo with shiny green feathers on top and shiny copper feathers on the back, with a white underbelly. Its wings are black with white patches. It has a broken white eye-stripe with a red eye-ring.  Young Diederick Cuckoos have a red beak.

Diederick Cuckoo

The Diederik Cuckoo grows to 18 centimetres (7 inches) tall. It has two toes forward and two toes at the back.

The Diederik Cuckoo eats moths, caterpillars and insects, such as termites, that it finds in trees or on the ground.

The female Diederik Cuckoo lays a single egg in the nest of other birds, because the cuckoo does not build their own nest. She usually lays her egg in the nest of weaver birds or sparrows.

It is a solitary bird, found in open woodland, savanna and bushes near rivers.

Diederick Cuckoo

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM