The male is blackish-brown above with a grey mantle and chest with a blackish crest, the underparts are white marked with broad chestnut bars.

[3] The African cuckoo-hawk is found across much of sub-Saharan Africa,[4] and the following subspecies are recognised:[5] The African cuckoo-hawk is a shy species which occurs in the interior and edges of evergreen forest and deciduous woodlands, including suburban gardens and more open savannas, up to 3,000 m (9,800 ft).

The African cuckoo-hawk's general behaviour is little known, as this species occurs at low densities and has secretive habits, although they are slightly more conspicuous during migration and so may appear more numerous.

The following food items have been recorded in its diet: flap-necked chameleon Chamaeleo dilepsis, southern dwarf chameleon Brachypodion ventrale, lizards, snakes, frogs, fish, fruit bats, mice, birds, grasshoppers and locusts, stick insects, silverfish larvae, caterpillars, mantids and freshwater crabs.

[4] The African cuckoo-hawk is a monogamous, solitary nester, belying its secretive reputation by performing spectacular aerial displays as the breeding season approaches.