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Coucal
A coucal is one of about 30 species of birds in the cuckoo family. All of them belong in the subfamily Centropodinae and the genus ''Centropus''. Unlike many Old World cuckoos, coucals are not brood parasites, though they do have their own reproductive peculiarity: all members of the genus are (to varying degrees) sex-role reversed, so that the smaller male provides most of the parental care. At least one coucal species, the black coucal, is polyandrous. Some species (''Centropus phasianinus'') have the male investing more in incubation and parental care. Taxonomy The genus ''Centropus'' was introduced in 1811 by the German zoologist Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger. The type species was subsequently designated as the Senegal coucal by George Robert Gray in 1840. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek ''kentron'' meaning "spur" or "spike" with ''pous'' meaning "foot". Description Many coucals have a long claw on their hind toe (hallux). The feet have minute spurs and this is res ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cuckoo
Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes . The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals and anis. The coucals and anis are sometimes separated as distinct families, the Centropodidae and Crotophagidae respectively. The cuckoo order Cuculiformes is one of three that make up the Otidimorphae, the other two being the turacos and the bustards. The family Cuculidae contains 150 species which are divided into 33 genera. The cuckoos are generally medium-sized slender birds. Most species live in trees, though a sizeable minority are ground-dwelling. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution; the majority of species are tropical. Some species are migratory. The cuckoos feed on insects, insect larvae and a variety of other animals, as well as fruit. Some species are brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other species and giving rise to the metaphor ''cuckoo's egg'', ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lesser Coucal
The lesser coucal (''Centropus bengalensis'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It has a wide distribution range that overlaps with several other similar species. The habitat in which it is found is often marshy land with grass and tree cover. It is distinguished by its smaller size, less prominent bill, pale shaft streaks on the feathers of the head and back. It has a much longer claw on its hind toe and a distinct call. It is also among the few coucals that show season plumage differences but like in other coucals, the sexes cannot be distinguished in the field. Taxonomy The lesser coucal was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's '' Systema Naturae''. He placed it with all the other cuckoos in the genus ''Cuculus'' and coined the binomial name ''Cuculus bengalensis''. Gmelin based his description on the "lark-heeled cuckoo" from Bengal that had been described and illustr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Senegal Coucal
The Senegal coucal (''Centropus senegalensis'') is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, which also includes the roadrunners, the anis, and the hoatzin. It is a medium-sized member of its genus and is found in lightly-wooded country and savannah in central and southern Africa. Taxonomy In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description and an illustration of the Senegal coucal in the fourth volume of his ''Ornithologie'' based on a specimen collected in Senegal. He used the French name ''Le coucou de Sénégal'' and the Latin name ''Cuculus Senegalensis''. Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to the binomial system and are not recognised by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. When in 1766 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his ''Systema Naturae'' for the twelfth edition he added 240 species that had been previously described by Brisson in his ''Ornithologie''. One of these was the S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greater Coucal (Centropus Sinensis) In Hyderabad W IMG 8962
The greater coucal or crow pheasant (''Centropus sinensis''), is a large non-parasitic member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes. A widespread resident in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, it is divided into several subspecies, some being treated as full species. They are large, crow-like with a long tail and coppery brown wings and found in a wide range of habitats from jungle to cultivation and urban gardens. They are weak fliers, and are often seen clambering about in vegetation or walking on the ground as they forage for insects, eggs and nestlings of other birds. They have a familiar deep resonant call which is associated with omens in many parts of its range. Description 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 c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Buff-headed Coucal
The buff-headed coucal (''Centropus milo'') is a species of coucal. These are often placed in the cuckoo family (Cuculidae) but seem to warrant recognition as a distinct family. ''C. milo'' is a common endemic of the central islands of the Solomon Islands. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland and mountain forests, mostly in primary and secondary growth. This species is a large cuckoo with a heavy bill and short wings. In total length, this species may measure . With a body mass of , this may be not only the largest coucal, apparently outweighing other very large coucals like the goliath coucal, but possibly the largest of all cuckoos, with a slightly higher cited weight than even the channel-billed cuckoo, usually considered the world's largest cuckoo. The plumage of adults is striking with a buff head, upper back and undersides, and glossy black wings, lower back and tail. The iris is red and legs and bill are dark grey. Juveniles are very differently colored, with t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gabon Coucal
The Gabon coucal (''Centropus anselli'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is mainly found in Gabon but also occurs in neighboring areas of Cameroon, Angola, the Central African Republic, the western Congo Basin and Equatorial Guinea. Description The Gabon coucal is a large-sized species growing to in length. The sexes are similar, the adult having the head, sides of neck and back black, glossed with purple, the lower back and rump whitish buff, barred with black, the wings dark brown and dark chestnut and the tail blackish-bronze glossed green. The underparts are rufous-buff or tawny. The eyes are reddish, the beak black and the feet black. The juvenile is similar to the adult but the black colouring is mostly replaced by dark brown and is unglossed, and the wings are heavily barred and rufous. Distribution and habitat The Gabon coucal is native to tropical western central Africa. Its range includes Gabon and the surrounding countries of southern Cameroon, so ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black-throated Coucal
The black-throated coucal (''Centropus leucogaster'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in West Africa in dense second growth along forest edge and grassy swamps. The subspecies found in northern and central Zaire is sometimes split as Neumann's coucal (''Centropus neumanni''). Description The black-throated coucal is the largest species in the genus ''Centropus'', growing to in length. The sexes are similar, the adult having the head, neck, upper breast and mantle black, glossed with violet-blue, the wings rufous-chestnut, the back black barred with white and the tail black, the tail feathers having paler bases. The lower breast and belly are white, the thighs, flanks and undertail-coverts having a rufous tinge. The juvenile has somewhat similar plumage to the adult, but is barred and streaked with buff, and lacks the gloss on the head. Distribution and habitat The black-throated coucal is native to western Africa. Its range includes Cameroon, The Dem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black-hooded Coucal
The black-hooded coucal (''Centropus steerii'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is endemic to Mindoro in the Philippines and is one of the most endangered birds in the country. It is threatened by habitat loss and trapping. Description EBird describes the bird as "A large, long-tailed bird of lowland primary forest on Mindoro with a brown back and belly, dark wings with brown-edged feathers, a dark tail with a bluish iridescence, and a black hood with some light streaking on the back of the neck. Note the strong curved bill. Similar to Philippine coucal, but has a brown rather than black belly and is restricted to primary forest rather than more open habitats. Song is a descending series of very deep hoots." Habitat and conservation status Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss with Mindoro having a great loss of forest in recent decades. By 1988, extensive deforestation on Mindoro had reduced forest cover t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black Coucal
The black coucal (''Centropus grillii'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It has a wide distribution in Africa south of the Sahara. Description The male black coucal is in length while the female is , otherwise they are similar in appearance. In breeding plumage the head, body and tail are black, apart from some buff barring on the rump, and the wings are rufous. Outside the breeding season, the upper parts are dark brown with rufous barring. The eyes are brown and the beak and legs are black. Juveniles are rufous with various dark and light barring and streaking. Distribution and habitat It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, DRC, Ivory Coast, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Green-billed Coucal
The green-billed coucal (''Centropus chlororhynchos'') is a member of the Cuculidae, cuckoos. It is Endemism in birds, endemic to Sri Lanka's wet zone and listed as Vulnerable species, Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, as the small population declined due to forest destruction and fragmentation. It inhabits the tall rainforests of southwest Sri Lanka and nests in bushes. Its typical clutch is 2–3 Egg (biology), eggs. Description It is a medium to large bird at 43 cm. Its head and body is purple-black, the wings are maroon above and black below, and the long tail is dark green. The bill is a distinctive light green. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are duller and streaked. It is somewhat smaller and less contrasted than the more widespread greater coucal. Despite its size and distinctive call, this is a difficult species to see because of the dense habitat in which it lives and its retiring nature. It feeds on a wide range of insects, caterpillars and small vertebrates, but ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blue-headed Coucal
The blue-headed coucal (''Centropus monachus'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is native to tropical central Africa where its typical habitat is swamps, river banks, forest edges and generally wet locations. It is a common bird with a wide range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern". Description The blue-headed coucal is a medium-sized species growing to in length. The sexes are similar, the adult having the head, sides of neck and back black, glossed with blue, the lower back and rump black, the wings predominantly deep chestnut and the tail black, glossed with green or bronze. The underparts are white or pale buff. The eyes are dark red, the beak black and the legs and feet greyish-black. The juvenile is similar to the adult but the black areas are dull rather than glossy; the head is streaked with rufous-buff, the wings are dark chestnut heavily barred with dark brown, and the b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ivory-billed Coucal
The ivory-billed coucal or greater black coucal (''Centropus menbeki'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in the Aru Islands and New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Description TSMF is generally found in large, discont .... References ivory-billed coucal Birds of the Aru Islands Birds of New Guinea ivory-billed coucal ivory-billed coucal Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Cuculiformes-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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