What is Coucal Bird?
Coucal is a bird that looks like a crow crossed with a pheasant. With rusty wings, glossy underparts, a long and hefty black tail, and deep red eyes, this bird is mostly black. The tail and underparts of juveniles have white bars, and the wings and upperparts have varying amounts of black streaks. Except in deep forests, it can be found in a variety of settings. Greater Coucals are identical to Lesser Coucals, but they are larger, have a longer bill, and have red eyes. The wings of Lesser Coucals feature white stripes, whereas the wings of Greater Coucals do not.
In this article, we will study the coucal bird, its different species along with food, habitat, reproduction and breeding habits.
Coucal Bird
Coucal is one of the approximately 30 species of cuckoo birds. They are all members of the Centropodinae subfamily and the Centropus genus.
Coucals, unlike many other Old World cuckoos, are not brood parasites. They do, however, have their unique reproductive peculiarity: all members of the genus have their sex roles reversed to variable degrees, with the smaller male providing the majority of parental care. The black coucal is polyandrous, as is at least one other coucal species.
The male in some species (such as Centropus phasianinus) invests more in incubation and parental care.
Recent DNA evidence implies that they should be classified as Centropodidae, a family.
Now coming to the coucal sound it is like an “ oop-oop-oop-opp” call. Its voice is a harsh hissing in the winter.
Description of Coucal:
The hind toe of many coucals has a long claw (hallux). This hallux claw gets its name from the Greek kentron, which means spike, and pous, which means foot. The German word for coucals is Sporenkuckucke, which refers to the tiny spurs on the feet.
The common name is derived from the terms Coucou and Alouette in French (for the long lark like a claw). (Newton, 1896, Cuvier) The claw can be 68-76 percent of the length of the tarsus in African Black Coucal C. grillii and smaller coucal C. bengalensis. The lone exception is the Short-toed coucal C. rectunguis, which has a hallux claw that is just 23% of the tarsus length. On the head and neck of hatchlings, thread-like feather structures (elongated sheaths of the emerging feathers, sometimes called trichoptiles) can be as long as 20mm.
Coucals are not brood parasites. They deposit their eggs and raise their offspring in their own nests. These nests are frequently built in dense foliage and have a closed top. Africa, Asia, and Australasia are all home to coucals.
The males and females have identical plumage. In contrast to most bird species, the females in this subfamily are larger than the males, and the males take care of the chicks the majority of the time.
The hind toe of many coucals has a long claw. The majority of coucals have brown or chestnut wings, with blackheads and underparts. They devour caterpillars, grasshoppers, spiders, snails, frogs, small snakes, mice, crabs, and small birds, among other invertebrates. Most forage in dense undergrowth, making them difficult to spot.
Let’s see some of the important species of coucal. Scientific names are also provided to know the species in a better way.
Andaman Coucal, Centropus Andamanensis
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The head, mantle, and underparts of the Andaman Coucal are greyish brown. Chestnut is the colour of the lower back. The tail is brown at the beginning and dark purple-brown at the end.
Bay Coucal, Centropus Celebensis
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The grey crown of the bay Coucal. The dark chestnut (bay) wings and tail contrast with the light chestnut plumage of the remainder of the bird. Black is the colour of the bill and the feet.
Biak Coucal, Centropus chalybeus
The Biak coucal's plumage is black. The bill is black and the eyes are golden.
Black Coucal, Centropus Grillii
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During the breeding season, the black coucal is completely black with the exception of its brown wings. It has dark brown upper parts with rufous banding at other seasons.
Black-Faced Coucal, Centropus Melanops
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The face of the black-faced coucal is black. The upper breast and neck are pale buff, whereas the lower breast and belly are black. The eyes are red, and the wings and tail are brown.
Black-Hooded Coucal, Centropus Steerii
During the breeding season, the black coucal is completely black with the exception of its brown wings. It has dark brown upper parts with rufous banding at other seasons.
Black-throated Coucal, Centropus Leucogaster
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The head, throat, upper breast, upper-mantle, and tail of the black-throated coucal are all black. The bill is black and the eyes are red. The thighs, flanks, and undertail are rufous tinted, and the wings are rufous-chestnut. The lower breasts and abdominal buttons are white in colour.
Blue-Headed Coucal, Centropus Monachus
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The blue-headed coucal has a blue gloss on its black head, nape, and upper breast. The tail is black and the wings are a deep chestnut colour. The underbelly of the bird is white or whitish. The feet are dark and the bill is black.
Buff-Headed Coucal, Centropus Milo
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The buff headed coucal is distinguished by its buff head, upper back, and underparts. The rest of the feathers are black. The pupils of the eyes are dilated. The coucal is a big bird with a dark grey bill and short wings. The legs are grey as well.
Burchell’s Coucal, Centropus Burchelli
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Burchell's coucal is frequently mistaken for a subspecies of the white-browed coucal and is given the name Centropus superciliosus burchelli. The head, neck, bill, feet, and tail are all black. The wings are chestnut and the back is rufous-brown. It has a rump that is blackish in colour. The underbelly is creamy-white, and the eyes are bright red.
Coppery-Tailed Coucal, Centropus Cupreicaudus
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The blackhead, nape, and mantle of the coppery tailed coucal. The rump is brown, with a coppery sheen, and the tail is brownish-black. The underbelly is white or cream in colour.
Gabon Coucal, Centropus Anselli
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The back, head, and nape of the gabon coucal are purple with a black shine. The wings are a deep brown colour. The underbelly, rump, and lower back are all buff. Its feet are black.
Greater Black Coucal, Centropus Menbeki
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The ivory-billed coucal, also known as the bigger black coucal, has black plumage and a huge ivory-colored bill.
Green-Billed Coucal, Centropus Chlororhynchos
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The bill of the green billed coucal is light green. Its plumage is mostly purple-black. The tops of the wings are maroon, while the bottoms are black. The lengthy tail is a dark green colour.
Lesser Coucal, Centropus Bengalensis
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The plumage of the smaller coucal is mostly blackish. The wings have a rufous coloration. It has a shiny darkish hood and upper-breast during the breeding season. It has white shafts on its head and back at other times. Its hind claw is the longest of any species in the genus.
Southern Coucal
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Southern coucal is also known as greater coucal. The greater coucal, often known as the crow pheasant (Centropus sinensis), is a big non-parasitic bird belonging to the Cuculiformes order of birds. It is a widespread inhabitant of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with multiple subspecies, some of which are considered whole species. They are huge, crow-like birds with a long tails and coppery brown wings that can be found in a variety of environments ranging from jungle to urban gardens. They are clumsy fliers who scavenge for insects, eggs, and nestlings of other birds by clambering through foliage or walking on the ground.
Description
At 48 cm, this cuckoo is a big species. The head, upper mantle, and bottom are all black with a purple sheen. Chestnut brown on the back and wings. On the coverts, there are no pale shaft stripes. The eyes are a brilliant ruby red colour. Juveniles have a duller black colour with whitish bands on the underside and tail, as well as markings on the crown. There are various geographical races, and some of these populations are classified as entire species on occasion.
Habit and Habitat
Open woodland, scrub terrain, bushes, grassland, shrubbery, groves, and areas near human habitation are common habitats. Greater Coucals are frequently observed strolling along the ground in the vegetation, either alone or in pairs. They walk on the ground, hopping between bushes and trees in search of food. They eat grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars, field mice, lizards, snakes, huge insects, snails, mice, and bird's eggs, among other things.
They're typically seen around farms and human settlements. They are encountered singly or in couples skulking through the undergrowth in quest of food, head bowed and tail almost dragging the ground, mouths open and closed often. It bounces from branch to branch with incredible agility in trees, yet it is primarily a ground dweller. It feeds while wandering through thickets and dense grasses. It skulks in deep vegetation or moves slowly like a pheasant with a horizontal tail pushed back. When hunting prey, this bird hunts on the ground and may hop and sprint energetically. It will occasionally take up some grass and other food items.
The nesting season lasts from February to September, depending on the weather. The nest is a big, messy spherical pile of leaves and twigs with a lateral entrance hole that is put in the heart of a shrub or on a low-hanging branch of a tree. The nest of the Greater Coucal is a huge spherical mass. It's made of grasses, leaves, and twigs, and it's connected to giant stems or buried in a bush. It may be a deep cup with a dome. Close leaves and stems are bent and woven directly to the structure without being chopped, and nest materials are loosely woven. As a result, the nest is always green and well hidden among the foliage
Behavior of Greater Coucal:
The prey of the Greater Coucal is diverse. It feeds while wandering through thickets and dense grasses. It skulks in deep vegetation or moves slowly like a pheasant with its tail held horizontally. When hunting prey, this bird hunts on the ground and may hop and sprint energetically. It will occasionally take up some grass and other food items.
The Greater Coucal is a shy bird that prefers to hide amid the dense foliage. It perches in a bush top above the lower vegetation on occasion in the evening. It prefers to perch in trees where it can easily clamber and hop around.
Diet of Greater Coucal:
Large insects, caterpillars, small vertebrates (young mice), snails, lizards, bird eggs, fruits, and seeds are among the foods consumed by Greater Coucal.
Reproduction and Breeding Habits:
The greater coucal species breeds in northern India during the rainy season, from June to September. The breeding season lasts all year in southern India and Sri Lanka, with a peak in March and April. These birds have a monogamous relationship.
The nesting sites are densely forested areas with shrubs, bamboo thickets, and densely forested trees. The nest could be as high as six metres above ground level. The male coucal delivers food to the female as part of the courtship display.
The male greater coucal constructs the majority of the nest. The nest is a deep cup-shaped construction made of sticks, twigs, and other plant matter. 3-5 chalky, yellowish-white eggs make up a normal clutch. The chicks hatch after 20 days and fledge after another 20 days.
Coucal Bird Nest
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Coucals build their nests amid dense vegetation and usually cover the top, while some species leave the top uncovered. Some species, such as the pheasant coucal Centropus phasianinus, larger coucal C. sinensis, and Madagascar coucal C. toulou, make an open nest occasionally, whereas others always do. It has been observed that some coucal species fly while carrying their offspring. To avoid predation, these nests are frequently built in the most impenetrable and inaccessible thickets.
Conclusion
We learned about coucal species in the preceding essay, which are usually found in Africa, southern Asia, and Australia. Its qualities have been discussed. The loud resonant call of the greater coucal makes it a bird of omen in many regions of its range. Although this species is not currently endangered, habitat loss is affecting populations of Greater Coucals in some sections of its range.
FAQs on Coucal
1.What Does Greater Coucal Eat?
The larger coucal is a huge bird that feeds on insects, caterpillars, snails, and small vertebrates including Saw-scaled vipers. Bird eggs, nestlings, fruits, and seeds are also known to be eaten by them.
2.Describe Pied Coucal and its Habitat.
The pied coucal, also known as the white-necked council, is a black-and-white bird. The upper breast and neck are white. The black wings have a little white spot. The hair on the top of the head is blackish. There are various colour variants to choose from. In its range, it is the only black-and-white coucal. It can be found in forests, forest edges, and other places where there are trees.
3.Can Greater Coucal Fly?
With powerful wing beats, the Greater Coucal flies at low altitudes. Its flight is ungainly, slow, and weak. When it flies large distances, it frequently leaps from branch to branch until it reaches a treetop. Then it takes off from the top of the tree, fluttering and gliding downward before disappearing into dense foliage.
