Centropus sinensis
SUBFAMILY
Centropodinae
TAXONOMY
Polophilus sinensis Stephens, 1815, Ning Po, China. Six subspecies.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Common or large coucal, common crow-pheasant,
lark-heeled cuckoo; French: Grand coucal; German: Heckenkuckuck;
Spanish: Cucal Chino.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
18.5–20.5 in (47–52 cm); 8.3–9.4 oz (236–268 g). Black, with
chestnut back and wings. Long and broad black tail; black bill.
DISTRIBUTION
Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China,
Thailand, Indochina, Sumatra, Borneo, Philippines, Java, Bali,
Kangean Is.
HABITAT
Forest, grassland, mangroves, scrub, cultivations, marshes,
reedbeds, gardens.
BEHAVIOR
Resident and locally migratory.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Large insects, small vertebrates, snails, fruits, and seeds.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Breeds in rains. Nest is large globular ball of twigs and leaves
or grass. Eggs 2–4. Monogamous.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Common throughout its range. Not globally threatened.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Nestlings are captured for medicinal purposes in Borneo.
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