Morning With The Coucals - SMAP 280

Every house has that one part that feels like treasure. For some, it could be the living room or the bedroom. And for others, it could be the study, the garden or even the porch.

For me, it's the kitchen - the command center for food, where I create beautiful recipes for the home and more. Not only that, it's my nature TV. Right from my kitchen window, I get a view of nature's beautiful gifts.

I’ve watched the sun come up. I’ve caught the stars blink out one by one, and the moon hanging low. I’ve seen squirrels do their morning sprints, and birds in their own world. The list is endless and I can't love it less.

The other day, my kitchen window gave me something new. I was making breakfast, then I noticed a movement on the fence.

A bird - black head, white throat, chestnut wings, and a long tail. A beauty. It was walking back and forth like it owned the place. I’d never seen it before.

So, I hurried to the living room, grabbed my phone, and by the time I got back, it'd flown off. Dang, they do this always. 😂 Hopefully, it'll come back, I thought. So, I continued cooking.

A few minutes later, I looked up again, and there it was. This time around, it seemed like it was going to spend some time there because it was just looking all over the place.

I grabbed my phone again and clicked some shots. Mission accomplished. Lol.

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While happy to have finally photograph the bird, I didn't know that it came with his family or so, to entertain me.

From the roof came the first call: cuckoo koo koo koo koo koo koo koo koo koo. Deep and steady. Then an answer from the next compound. And then my wall guest answered too.

I was like "wow, so this is the bird that makes that sound?" Fascinating!

They went on and one, one call after the other as I cooked. At a point, I had to wonder if they were talking about the weather, my yard, or just checking in with each other. Lol. Honestly, I liked the family vibe. Hehehe. They really made my morning feel different. Ordinary chores extraordinary moments.

Done with kitchen stuff, I did a search and Google photos gave the name as Senegal Coucal, (Centroupus senegalensis). From the cuckoo family, a native to tropical Africa. Interesting.

It further showed that Senegal Coucal like grassy habitats with trees - bush, savannah, parks and gardens.

About feeding, they're ground foragers, feeding on anything; from insects, caterpillars, small reptiles and snakes.

Fun fact😀

In some parts of West Africa, Senegal Coucal is also called the rain bird because it calls a lot during the rainy season. So when you hear that call, just know that rain is imminent. No wonder it's been raining for days here. They called up the rains. Gosh!

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And that's a wrap. I can’t wait to see which creature shows up on my fence next. Lol.

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Author's Photos

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