The Blue-headed Coucal occurs in sub-Saharan Africa. Its crown and nape are black with a blue sheen in good light, while the lower back and wings are chestnut.
The crown and nape are black, with a blue sheen in good light. The lower back and wings are chestnut, and the bird is 45–52 cm long.
It stays in dense cover near water, including papyrus swamps. It eats amphibians, reptiles, small birds and eggs, rodents, and insects, and builds an oval nest of grass and sedge with a side entrance.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.