Cuckoo-finch

Anomalospiza imberbis (Cabanis, 1868)

11–13 cmLength20 gWeight

The cuckoo-finch (Anomalospiza imberbis), also known as the parasitic weaver or cuckoo weaver, is a small passerine bird now placed in the family Viduidae with the indigobirds and whydahs.

Busiest months: March and November–December · Most records: Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Cuckoo-finch has been recorded at 77 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 16 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Nairobi NPKenya230 records
Rietvlei NRSouth Africa47 records
Maasai Mara NR – Mara TriangleKenya28 records

More places

Suikerbosrand NRSouth Africa22 records
Monavale MarshZimbabwe18 records
Cleveland Dam/Haka Game ParkZimbabwe18 records
Maasai Mara NR – Eastern SectionKenya16 records
Clipper Line Fish FarmZambia15 records
Rio Savanne WetlandsMozambique14 records
Midmar Dam – South ShoreSouth Africa14 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Kenya South Africa Zimbabwe Zambia Mozambique Tanzania Uganda Ethiopia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The cuckoo-finch (Anomalospiza imberbis), also known as the parasitic weaver or cuckoo weaver, is a small passerine bird now placed in the family Viduidae with the indigobirds and whydahs. It occurs in grassland in Africa south of the Sahara. The male is mainly yellow and green while the female is buff with dark streaks.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Cuckoo-finch?

The Cuckoo-finch is about 11–13 cm long and weighs around 20 g.

Where does the Cuckoo-finch live?

Its breeding range: Africa: Sierra Leone and southern Mali to Ethiopia and south to eastern South Africa. It is most often recorded in Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe.