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Photo: Giles Laurent · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source ↗
Red-chested Cuckoo
Piet-my-vrou · Cuculus solitarius
A grey cuckoo with a rufous breast whose loud 'piet-my-vrou' call is the soundtrack of bushveld summer, even though the bird itself stays hidden in the canopy. It lays its eggs in the nests of robins and thrushes, then departs north again well before winter.
Log your Red-chested Cuckoo sighting — free →How to identify it
Heard far more than seen; grey above with a rufous chest, giving the loud three-note 'piet-my-vrou' call.
Listen for its call
The summer "Piet-my-vrou" — three clear whistled notes, over and over.
Where to see it in Kruger
Riverine and dense woodland across the park in summer; a classic summer voice.
Did you know
Its ringing 'piet-my-vrou' call is one of the first sounds announcing that summer has arrived.
Often confused with
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