Lesser Coucal

Centropus bengalensis

Photo by Romy Ocon

Identification

Photographed: Masinloc, Zambales, Philippines 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.

Main features: Medium (38cm); black plumage; wings and back chestnut; eyes red, bill and feet black.

Breeding adult: Nape and upper back pale buff streaking.

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.

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.

In flight: Low, rapid shallow flapping with long spurts of gliding, seldom raising their wings above the horizontal.

Distribution

India to East Indonesia.

Taxonomy

Family Centropodidae. World 30 species, Singapore 2 species. Order Cuculiformes (Cuckoos).

Habitat

They specialise in more open grasslands (lallang and other tall grasses) both dry and marshy.

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.

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".

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.

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.

External Links

• View more images of Lesser Coucal in the gallery