| Crested coua | |
|---|---|
) | |
| At Anjajavy Forest, Madagascar | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Cuculiformes |
| Family: | Cuculidae |
| Genus: | Coua |
| Species: | C. cristata |
| Binomial name | |
| Coua cristata (Linnaeus, 1766) | |
| Synonyms | |
| Cuculus cristatus Linnaeus, 1766 | |
The crested coua (Coua cristata) is a medium-sized, approximately 44 cm long, greenish-grey coua with grey crest, blue bare orbital skin, rufous breast, brown iris, black bill and legs, white belly and long white-tipped purplish-blue tail feathers.
The crested coua is distributed and endemic to forests, savanna and brushland of Madagascar. It is found from sea level to altitude of 900 metres.
Subspecies
- Coua cristata maxima – only known from a single specimen; possibly extinct (late 20th century) or a hybrid.
Diet
The diet consists mainly of various insects, fruits, berries, seeds, snails and chameleons. The female usually lays two white eggs in a nest made from twigs.
Widespread and a common species throughout its large habitat range, the crested coua is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Gallery
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At Weltvogelpark Walsrode, Germany
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References
- ^ BirdLife International (2012). "Coua cristata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.