Greater Coucal
Centropus sinensis
A large bird that resembles a cross between a crow and a pheasant. Largely black with distinctive rusty wings, glossy underparts, a long and heavy black tail, and deep red eyes. Juveniles are much duller with white bars on the tail and underparts and variable amounts of black streaks on the wings and upperparts. Common across a range of habitats except very dense forests. Similar to Lesser Coucal, but Greater Coucal is larger with a longer bill and red eyes. Adult Greater Coucals also lack the white streaks on the wings seen on Lesser Coucal. The call is a series of deep, resonant “oop-oop-oop” notes.
Identification
This is a large species of cuckoo at 48 cm. The head is black, upper mantle and underside are black glossed with purple. The back and wings are chestnut brown. There are no pale shaft streaks on the coverts. The eyes are ruby red. Juveniles are duller black with spots on the crown and there are whitish bars on the underside and tail. There are several geographic races and some of these populations are sometimes treated as full species. Earlier treatments included the brown coucal (C. (s.) andamanensis) under this name. Rasmussen & Anderton (2005) suggest that the race parroti may be a full species – the southern coucal which is found in peninsular India (northern boundary unclear). The race intermedius of the Assam and Bangladesh region is smaller than the nominate race found in the sub-Himalayan zone. Songs of the races are said to vary considerably. Race parroti of southern India has a black head and the underparts glossed blue and has the forehead, face and throat more brownish. The sexes are similar in plumage but females are slightly larger.<p>Leucistic specimens have been observed.<p>The nominate race is found from the Indus Valley through the sub-Himalayan and Gangetic plains to Nepal, Assam and the Bhutan foothills into southern China (Guangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian).<p>The young when hatched have black skin and white hairy feathers (termed as trichoptiles) forming a fringe over the eye and beak. The centre of the belly is pinkish and the upper mandible is black with a pink edge. The iris is brown, gape yellow and feet dark brown-gray.The juvenile of race parroti is unmarked dull black on the underside (contra barred in the northern races) and much darker, dusky chestnut on the wings. Race bubutus found in Southeast Asia has a distinct call. Individuals from the Western Ghats are very similar in size to the lesser coucal Centropus bengalensis but the latter has a stubbier bill, shorter tail, wing tips extending beyond the tertials and a chestnut wing lining, dark eyes and a tail with green/bronze sheen. Females of the race parroti develop dusky or sooty wing coverts between November and January and the northern boundary of the race is along the Punjab plains where it forms intermediates with the northern forms.
Taxonomy
Genus: Centropus; Family: Cuculidae; Order: Cuculiformes.
- Scientific name
- Centropus sinensis
- Authority
- (Stephens, 1815)
- Order
- Cuculiformes
- Family
- Cuculidae
- Genus
- Centropus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Smart-looking dark thrush with a distinctive pale crescent on the chest; male’s is bright white, female’s is dingier. Adult blackish overall with frosty pale wing edgings. Immature in autumn–winter has a much duller collar. Bill is duller yellow than Eurasian Blackbird, with a dark top edge and tip. Rather shy, flying into cover or far away over slopes when disturbed. Breeds in open highland habitat, including moorland, alpine meadows, rocky mountain sides, and conifer stands. Migrants can turn up in fields and open farmland. Sometimes associated strongly with junipers, especially in non-breeding range. Song is pleasant but simple and repetitive; calls include a low “taktaktak” and a buzzy “zrrp, zrrp.”
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