Alternative name: Red-capped Madagascar Coucal
- Coua ruficeps
Identification
42cm.
- Light greenish brown upperparts
- Rufous front and top of head
- Blue skin around eye with black line below
- Dark brown to purplish tail with white edge
- White throat, tawny lower throat
- Purplish light chest
- Pale rufous to whitish belly
- Black bill and feet
Sexes alike. Juveniles dull with light brown crown.
Distribution
Endemic to north-western Madagascar.
Taxonomy
Olive-capped Coua was formerly included in Red-capped Coua.
Subspecies
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Dry forests and moist lowland forests. Also in second growth and degraded wooded habitats and obviously relatively adaptable to habitat modification.
Occurs from sea-level up to 850m.
Behaviour
A terrestrial species.
Diet
Feeds on insects, takes also fruits.
Forages on the ground.
Breeding
Breeding season from November to December. The nest is a shallow bowl made of thin branches, creepers and bark. Lays 2 eggs.
Movements
This is a resident species.
Photo © by edenwatcher
Ampijoroa, Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar, October 2010
References
- Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, M. Smith, and C. L. Wood. 2024. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2024. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F, D Donsker, and P Rasmussen (Eds). 2024. IOC World Bird List (v 14.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.14.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and J Sargatal, eds. 1997. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 4: Sandgrouse to Cuckoos. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334221
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Red-capped Coua. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 15 January 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Red-capped_Coua
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
