Coquerel's Coua
Coua coquereli
The Coquerel's Coua (Coua coquereli) is a rare cuckoo found only in Madagascar, weighing about 160 g. Coquerel's coua is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae.
About the Coquerel's Coua
Coquerel's coua is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It was named in 1867 by the French naturalist Alfred Grandidier in honor of the French navy surgeon and naturalist Charles Coquerel.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Coquerel's coua is approximately 40 cm (16 in) in length and has a large blue patch of bare skin around the eye, a characteristic of the Coua genus that is similar to African turacos. The plumage is silky, the crown is black, the upper parts and tail are light brown or greyish-brown, and the lower breast and belly is suffused with red. The iris is red and the beak and legs are slaty grey. As a member of the cuckoo family, it has a reversible third toe and resembles the coucal in its method of scrambling through tangled bushes and lianas while searching for food.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: July, August, September, October, November, 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 Coquerel's Coua?
- Coquerel's coua is approximately 40 cm (16 in) in length and has a large blue patch of bare skin around the eye, a characteristic of the Coua genus that is similar to African turacos. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Coquerel's Coua?
- The Coquerel's Coua is a medium sized bird weighing about 160 g.
- Where can you see a Coquerel's Coua?
- The Coquerel's Coua is endemic to Madagascar, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Coquerel's Coua?
- The Coquerel's Coua is most easily confused with the Giant Coua, the Running Coua and the Red-breasted Coua.
- Is the Coquerel's Coua endangered?
- The Coquerel's Coua is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Coquerel's Coua for real
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