Crested coua

Coua cristata

crested coua are not brood parasites. Unlike many other species of cuckoo, they do not lay their eggs in other birds’ nests, but rear their young themselves.

Red List

Least Concern

Crested coua belong to a genus of cuckoo found only in Madagascar. A distinctive feature is a strip of bare skin around their eyes.

Most species of crested coua live on the ground and in the lower parts of trees. There, they search for food amongst the dense foliage and in the layer of leaves on the forest floor. They have a diet that includes beetles, snails and butterflies, as well as fruit and seeds.

They often move about by hopping, jumping or running, even amongst the branches. The birds rest on low-lying branches, often no more than a few metres above the ground

The crested coua builds its nest from fine twigs and root fibres. Both parents work together to build the nest, and they engage in together in the offspring rearing. As a deterrent, young hooded silk cuckoos open their beaks, revealing a throat that looks terrifying to potential predators.

Taxonomy

Cuculidae, genus Coua (9 species)

Habitat

forests, mangroves and savannahs up to 1,000 metres above sea level

Migratory behaviour

loyal to the location

Social structure

individually, in pairs or in small groups