How big is a Blue Coua?

The Blue Coua is a medium sized bird weighing about 244 g.

Where can you see a Blue Coua?

The Blue Coua is endemic to Madagascar, which is the only country where it occurs.

What birds look similar to a Blue Coua?

The Blue Coua is most easily confused with the Crested Coua, the Red-capped Coua and the Red-fronted Coua.

Is the Blue Coua endangered?

The Blue Coua is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Blue Coua

Coua caerulea

Cuckoos · Cuculiformes · Rare

The Blue Coua (Coua caerulea) is a rare cuckoo found only in Madagascar, weighing about 244 g. The blue coua is a species of bird in the cuckoo family, Cuculidae.

Least ConcernRareEndemicEats invertebratesforestcup nest244 g

Blue Coua (Coua caerulea), photo 1 — Photo: Matteo Bellucci · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Blue Coua (Coua caerulea), photo 2 — Photo: Matteo Bellucci · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Blue Coua (Coua caerulea), photo 3 — Photo: David Weisenbeck · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Blue Coua (Coua caerulea), photo 4 — Photo: David Weisenbeck · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Blue Coua (Coua caerulea), photo 5 — Photo: Samuel GUIRAUDOU · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Blue Coua (Coua caerulea), photo 6 — Photo: Samuel GUIRAUDOU · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Blue Coua (Coua caerulea), photo 7 — Photo: Samuel GUIRAUDOU · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Blue Coua (Coua caerulea), photo 8 — Photo: Samuel GUIRAUDOU · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Blue Coua (Coua caerulea), photo 9 — Photo: Светлана Царахова · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Blue Coua (Coua caerulea), photo 10 — Photo: Светлана Царахова · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

About the Blue Coua

The blue coua is a species of bird in the cuckoo family, Cuculidae. It is endemic to the island of Madagascar.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

The bird's feathers are a deep blue and there is a distinctive blue oval area around the eye which is free of feathers. Like all cuckoos they have large feet, with a reversible third toe. It has a bulky silhouette and short, broad wings and long tail, all of which can be seen when gliding between trees. The average size of the birds is 48 to 50 cm (18.9 to 19.7 in) in length and 30 to 60 grams (1.1 to 2.1 ounces) in weight with the females slightly larger. The calls are evenly spaced ″koa koa koa″ notes and a brief ″brreee″.

Where it lives

Madagascar

When to see it

Best months: July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in November. It is a variable species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Blue Coua?: The bird's feathers are a deep blue and there is a distinctive blue oval area around the eye which is free of feathers. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Blue Coua?: The Blue Coua is a medium sized bird weighing about 244 g.
Where can you see a Blue Coua?: The Blue Coua is endemic to Madagascar, which is the only country where it occurs.
What birds look similar to a Blue Coua?: The Blue Coua is most easily confused with the Crested Coua, the Red-capped Coua and the Red-fronted Coua.
Is the Blue Coua endangered?: The Blue Coua is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Blue Coua for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

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