Bird Guide

Lesser Coucal vs Pheasant Coucal

Lesser Coucal (Centropus bengalensis)

Lesser Coucal

Centropus bengalensis

Medium149 gGrassland

This slightly smaller-sized and shorter-billed coucal has a very long hind claw, the longest within the genus. The overall plumage, as in many other coucals, is of a blackish bird with a long tail and rufous wings. They have two plumages, a breeding plumage in which the head and upper back are glossy with dark shafts to the feather and a duller non-breeding plumage in which the feather shafts on the head and back are whitish. The wing coverts also have pale shafts showing as whitish streaks on the brown feathers. The central upper tail coverts are barred and very long.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Lesser Coucal
Recorded by Mike Prince · Call · Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, Kerala, India · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Hari K Patibanda · CC BY 2.0
Pheasant Coucal (Centropus phasianinus)

Pheasant Coucal

Centropus phasianinus

Large382 gShrubland

50 to 70 cm (20 to 28 in) in length, the pheasant coucal is a large heavy-set bird adapted for living on the ground, reminiscent of a pheasant in shape. Birds in breeding plumage have black heads, necks, breasts and bellies, barred chestnut wings and long black, brown and cream barred tails. Outside the breeding season, their black head and underparts moult to a white-streaked chestnut colour. The pheasant coucal's summer voice is a low descending 'boop boop boop'. Its winter voice is a sharp hissing.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: James Niland from Brisbane, Australia · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Lesser Coucal and Pheasant Coucal.