Difference between revisions of "Lesser Coucal" - BirdForum Opus

Revision as of 10:00, 8 October 2013

Photo by Romy Ocon
Masinloc, Zambales, Philippines

Alternative name: Small Coucal

Centropus bengalensis

Identification

Immature
Photo by Neil
Hong Kong, China, January 2007

31 - 38cm.

Black upperparts and underparts, often with pale streaking
Pale rufous brown wings
Glossy black tail narrowly tipped whitish
Red to brown eye
Black bill and legs
In non-breeding plumage barred brown upperparts and rufous-white underparts with dusky bars
Subspecies differ mainly in size, sarasinorum is larger and darker than nominate, medius larger still

Sexes alike, females larger. Juveniles are dark brown above, light rufous barred, streaked rufous on head and back, have buffy-white shaft-streaks and are whitish buff below with paler shaft streaks and bars.

Distribution

From India est to southern China, Indochina, Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, the Philippines, the Lesser Sundas and Moluccas.
Common in suitable habitat in its range.

Taxonomy

Five subspecies recognized:

C. b. bengalensis from India and Nepal to Bangladesh, Burma and Indochina
C. b. lignator in southern and southeast China, Hainan and Taiwan
C. b. javanensis from the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Palawan and the Philippines
C. b. sarasinorum on Sulawesi and the Lesser Sundas (Indonesia)
C. b. medius on the Moluccas (Indonesia)

Has been considered conspecific with Black Coucal and Madagascar Coucal.

Habitat

Open grasslands, both dry and marshy. In more open habitats than Greater Coucal.
From lowlands up to 1800m.

Behaviour

Diet

Feeds on large insects, frogs, lizards, snakes, fruit. They hunt these among the undergrowth, using their powerful bills to catch and kill their prey.

Breeding

Breeding season starts in India after onset of rains In June, December to July in the Malay Peninsula. They build a large globe nest made of twigs or grass (blades and stems) with a large entrance hole to one side. The nest is sometimes lined with green leaves and grass. 2-4 white eggs are laid. Both sexes incubate and tend the young.

Movements

This is a resident species. Locally perhaps only a summer visitor, e.g. in Nepal.

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

List of references

Recommended Citation

BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Lesser Coucal. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 26 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Lesser_Coucal

External Links

Search for photos of Lesser Coucal in the gallery

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-;Centropus bengalensis
+[[Image:Lesser_Coucal.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by {{user|Romy+Ocon|Romy Ocon}}<br/>Masinloc, Zambales, [[Philippines]]]]
-[[Image:Lesser_Coucal.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by Romy Ocon]]
+'''Alternative name: Small Coucal'''
+;[[:Category:Centropus|Centropus]] bengalensis
 ==Identification==
-Photographed: Masinloc, Zambales, Philippines
+[[Image:1568lesser coucal immDSCN1318.jpg|thumb|320px|right|Immature<br />Photo by {{user|Neil|Neil}}<br/> Hong Kong, [[China]], January 2007]]
-Similar birds: Greater Coucal (C. sinensis): The Lesser is smaller, somewhat paler and has chestnut wing-linings, while the Greater has black wing-linings. Unlike the Greater, when in the breeding the Lesser has pale buff streaking on nape and upper back and appears more streaky and scruffy because the Lesser has very glossy head feather shafts which reflect the light and make them appear almost white.
+- 38cm.
+* Black upperparts and underparts, often with pale streaking
-Main features: Medium (38cm); black plumage; wings and back chestnut; eyes red, bill and feet black.
+* Pale rufous brown wings
+* Glossy black tail narrowly tipped whitish
-Breeding adult: Nape and upper back pale buff streaking.
+* Red to brown eye
+* Black bill and legs
-Juvenile and non-breeding adult: head, neck and mantle brown streaked with pale buff; rump and upper tail coverts, blackish barred rufous; tail dark brown glossed with green; underparts buffy with paler streaks.
+* In non-breeding plumage barred brown upperparts and rufous-white underparts with dusky bars
+* Subspecies differ mainly in size, ''sarasinorum'' is larger and darker than nominate, ''medius'' larger still
-Call: Described as a series of mellow whoops; 3-4 hiccups followed by knocking rattles; sharp 3-note call that sounds like got-to-go; or boot-boot-boot, like their Malay name.
+Sexes alike, females larger. Juveniles are dark brown above, light rufous barred, streaked rufous on head and back, have buffy-white shaft-streaks and are whitish buff below with paler shaft streaks and bars.
-In flight: Low, rapid shallow flapping with long spurts of gliding, seldom raising their wings above the horizontal.
 ==Distribution==
-India to East Indonesia.
+From [[India]] est to southern [[China]], [[Indochina]], [[Malaysia]], [[Sumatra]], [[Borneo]], the [[Philippines]], the [[Lesser Sundas]] and [[Moluccas]].<br />
+Common in suitable habitat in its range.
 ==Taxonomy==
-Family Centropodidae. World 30 species, Singapore 2 species. Order Cuculiformes (Cuckoos).
+Five subspecies recognized:
+* ''C. b. bengalensis'' from [[India]] and [[Nepal]] to [[Bangladesh]], [[Burma]] and [[Indochina]]
+* ''C. b. lignator'' in southern and southeast [[China]], Hainan and [[Taiwan]]
+* ''C. b. javanensis'' from the [[Malay Peninsula]]	to [[Sumatra]], [[Java]], [[Borneo]], Palawan and the [[Philippines]]
+* ''C. b. sarasinorum'' on [[Sulawesi]] and the [[Lesser Sundas]] ([[Indonesia]])
+* ''C. b. medius'' on the [[Moluccas]] ([[Indonesia]])
+Has been considered conspecific with [[Black Coucal]] and [[Madagascar Coucal]].
 ==Habitat==
-They specialise in more open grasslands (lallang and other tall grasses) both dry and marshy.
+Open grasslands, both dry and marshy. In more open habitats than [[Greater Coucal]].<br />
+From lowlands up to 1800m.
 ==Behaviour==
-The Lesser Coucals feed on large insects, frogs, lizards, snakes. They hunt these among the undergrowth, using their powerful bills to catch and kill their prey.
+====Diet====
+Feeds on large insects, frogs, lizards, snakes, fruit. They hunt these among the undergrowth, using their powerful bills to catch and kill their prey.
-Coucals are rather terrestrial, preferring to walk than fly. They emerge in the open only in the early morning. The rest of the day, they forage on foot in tall grass. When disturbed, they make a short flight with shallow wing beats and brief glides into cover. They then scuttle away on foot. They are strong runners and have straight hind claws and are sometimes called "lark-heeled cuckoos".
+====Breeding====
+Breeding season starts in [[India]] after onset of rains In June, December to July in the [[Malay Peninsula]]. They build a large globe nest made of twigs or grass (blades and stems) with a large entrance hole to one side. The nest is sometimes lined with green leaves and grass. 2-4 white eggs are laid. Both sexes incubate and tend the young.
-Lesser Coucals are mostly solitary, only rarely seen in pairs. Lesser Coucals have a courtship ritual of offering each other titbits like a leaf or grasshopper.
+====Movements====
+This is a resident species. Locally perhaps only a summer visitor, e.g. in [[Nepal]].
-Although they are members of the cuckoo family, Lesser Coucals do not lay their eggs in other birds' nests. They build their own nests. These are usually well concealed and comprise a large globe (18 x 25cm) made of twigs or grass (blades and stems) with a large entrance hole to one side. The nest is sometimes lined with green leaves and grass.  They build in open grasslands, close to the ground, incorporating tall grass stems into the nest. Less frequently, low in bushes or trees. 2-3 white eggs are laid in December-July. Hatchlings are black skinned with long bristly down. Like other Coucals, when disturbed, the chicks squirt out copious amounts of foul-smelling liquid faeces.
+==References==
+#{{Ref-Clements6thAug13}}#{{Ref-HBWVol4}}
+{{ref}}
 ==External Links==
 {{GSearch|Centropus+bengalensis}}
-*[http://www.orientalbirdimages.org/birdimages.php?action=birdspecies&Bird_ID=471&Bird_Image_ID=661&Bird_Family_ID=80 View more images of this species on Orientalbirdimages]
+[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Centropus]]
-[[Category:Birds]]