Purple Cochoa
Cochoa purpurea
The Purple Cochoa (Cochoa purpurea) is a legendary thrush found in 5 countries, weighing about 103 g. The purple cochoa is a brightly coloured bird found in the temperate forests of Asia.
About the Purple Cochoa
The purple cochoa is a brightly coloured bird found in the temperate forests of Asia. It is a quiet and elusive bird species that has been considered to be related to the thrushes of family Turdidae or the related Muscicapidae. They are found in dark forested areas and is found in the canopy, where it often sits motionless.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
This bird appears dark in the shade of the forest and the colours become clear only when it is lit by the sun. The crown is silvery blue and a black mask runs over the eye. A grey carpal patch is present at the base of the black wing feathers and a wing patch is prominent. The tail is silvery blue with a black terminal band. The male has dull purplish grey secondaries and coverts and the body is greyish while the female has rufous replacing the purple. The genus name is from the Nepali word for the bird and was used by Brian Houghton Hodgson.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: February, March, April, May, October, November, with peak activity in May. It is a passage migrant species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Purple Cochoa?
- This bird appears dark in the shade of the forest and the colours become clear only when it is lit by the sun. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Purple Cochoa?
- The Purple Cochoa is a medium sized bird weighing about 103 g.
- Where can you see a Purple Cochoa?
- The Purple Cochoa occurs in 5 countries, including India, Thailand, China, Vietnam and Bhutan.
- What birds look similar to a Purple Cochoa?
- The Purple Cochoa is most easily confused with the Javan Cochoa and the Green Cochoa.
- Is the Purple Cochoa endangered?
- The Purple Cochoa is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Purple Cochoa for real
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