A very long tail and heavy barring mark this cuckoo. It hides in dense woodland and is often located by its voice.
The plumage is rufous brown with heavy dark barring, and the tail is very long. The throat and breast can be rufous on some birds.
It is shy and retiring in forest, dense woodland, and miombo woodland, and may be found by listening for its voice.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.