Alternative name: Coquerel's Madagascar Coucal
- Coua coquereli
Identification
42cm. Similar to Giant Coua but much smaller.
- Olive-green upperparts, tail tipped white
- Tan throat and breast, rufous lower breast, dull brown to black belly
- Blue bare skin around eye, pink behind eye with black boarder around
- Black bill
Sexes alike. Juveniles are duller, without black outline feathers, they have brown wing-coverts with buff edge, their underparts are grey-barred whitish, the bill is flesh.
Distribution
Endemic to western Madagascar.
Fairly common in its small range.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Humid and dry deciduous forests. Ranging into edge of subdesert.
Occurs from sea-level up to 800m.
Shares the habitat with Giant Coua and Red-capped Coua. Replaced by Running Coua in the south of its range.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on insects, spiders and berries, takes also fruit.
Forages on the ground and in middle layers of forest 1 to 5m above the ground.
Breeding
The nest is a bowl made of twigs, small branches, bark and petioles. It's placed 2m above the ground in a dense bush. Lays 2 dull white eggs.
Movements
This is a resident species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and J Sargatal, eds. 1997. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 4: Sandgrouse to Cuckoos. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334221
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Coquerel's Coua. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 26 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Coquerel%27s_Coua