As we turned left off the N2 and made our way up the hill, we saw a change as the forest appeared before us. First, it was a commercial plantation and then a dense indigenous forest. This lush sea of greens and brown with a musty odour was probably how it looked from Cape Town to the Tsitsikamma long before man exploited these forests for financial gain. Most of the true forests and the Outeniqua yellowwood Giants are all but gone. A handful of sanctuaries, managed by Sanparks, have protected areas where you can experience these mystical, dense indigenous areas. One is the Diepwalle section above the town of Knysna, which is high in the hills and now safe from the woodcutter axe.

African Emerald Cuckoo  Chrysococcyx cupreus afrikaans: Mooimeisie

 

Sanparks Camping Decks are in the Diepwalle forest section, high in the mountains above Knysna. Quiet, private and much more

The forests of the Garden Route National Park are most famously captured by the South African author Daleen Mathee and her enigmatic stories of the forest. This was a time of exploration, exploitation, gold diggers, and elephant hunters. Today, the woodcutters, golddiggers, and most of the elephants are gone. You will still encounter traces of the past within the lush Knysna forest. These dense green forests hold many myths and legends; we followed this historic journey through the Knysna forest as part of Sanpark’s Rooted in Time adventure to ten enchanted locations.

The plaintive notes of this jewel of a bird’s ‘pretty-Geor-gie’ calls reverberate through the forest. Yet they’re not called the ghost of the forest for nothing: seeing one can be a challenge, not least because they twirl as they call, making their location hard to pinpoint. In the 1989 Complete Book of Southern African Birds, the Emerald Cuckoo was one of just a handful of species for which a photograph was not sourced; a tantalising illustration had to suffice.

 

African Emerald Cuckoo  Chrysococcyx cupreus afrikaans: Mooimeisie

 

Our Camping Deck number 3 during our stay deep in this enchanting Forest

 

Tiny Green-backed Camaroptera is known to have been fooled into feeding far larger cuckoo babies.

The African Emerald Cuckoo, scientifically known as Chrysococcyx cupreus, is a captivating bird found in sub-Saharan Africa. With striking emerald-green plumage, it stands out in dense forests and wooded areas. This species is known for its brood parasitism, laying eggs in the nests of other birds. The diet primarily consists of insects, especially caterpillars. Habitat loss and fragmentation pose threats to its populations. Conservation efforts are crucial to preserving the unique characteristics of the African Emerald Cuckoo.

 

African Emerald Cuckoo  Chrysococcyx cupreus afrikaans: Mooimeisie

 

One of many wonderful walking trails where you can lose yourself and enjoy these remarkable indigenous forests

 

The Diepwalle Camping Decks section, managed by Sanparks, was the perfect setting for our first encounter with the African Emerald Cuckoo. Calling close to our deck number three and after a frantic search, we finally managed to set our sights on this elusive forest bird.

Little would we know that for the remainder of our holiday, we would constantly hear this pleasant sound of this cuckoo calling. Capturing a few images would be a completely different story. Ultimately, we had some luck and captured this elusive forest bird.

 

 

African Emerald Cuckoo  Chrysococcyx cupreus afrikaans: Mooimeisie

 

One of many wonderful walking trails where you can lose yourself and enjoy these remarkable indigenous forests

 

Description

The African emerald cuckoo is sexually dimorphic. The males have a green back and head with a yellow breast. Females are barred green and brown on their backs and green and white on their breasts. The African emerald cuckoo can also be identified by its call, a four-note whistle with the mnemonic device of “Hello Ju-dy.” 

Diet

The cuckoo’s diet consists mainly of insects like caterpillars and ants.[5] The diet can be supplemented with some fruit, and the African emerald cuckoo often forages in the middle and top layers of the canopy.[6]

Breeding

Chrysococcyx cupreus in a spawn of Anabathmis newtonii – MHNT

Like most cuckoos, the African emerald cuckoo is a brood parasite. Female African emerald cuckoos lay eggs in the nests of other bird species. A female cuckoo can lay between 19 and 25 eggs on average per breeding season.[7] The breeding season occurs during the rainy seasons, generally during the months between September and March.[4] Even though the cuckoos do not need territory to feed fledglings, male African emerald cuckoos still maintain territories to display themselves to potential mates.[4]

African Emerald Cuckoo  Chrysococcyx cupreus afrikaans: Mooimeisie

Conservation status and threats

The cuckoo’s distribution is 11,400,000 km (7,100,000 mi)[4] across sub-Saharan Africa, and subsequently, the species is not in any immediate threat of decline.[8] However, there is some concern about habitat reduction and fragmentation of riparian areas and lowland forests in the upcoming years.[6]

Folklore

In the Zigula language its call has been rendered as ziwkulwa tuoge, (“let’s go and bathe”). In Zulu it is known as ubantwanyana, or “little children”, which suggests the song Bantwanyana! ning’endi!, or “Little children, don’t get married!”.[9] In Xhosa it is mostly known as intananja,[5] but its call is also rendered as ziph’ iintombi?, meaning “where are the girls?” [9] In Afrikaans, it is known as the mooimeisie, or “pretty girl”.[10]