Green-billed coucal
| Green-billed Coucal | |
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| Species: | C. chlororhynchos
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| Binomial name | |
| Centropus chlororhynchos | |
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Centropus chlororhynchus | |
The Green-billed Coucal, Centropus chlororhynchos[1] , is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, which also includes the roadrunners, the anis, and the Hoatzin.
It is endemic to Sri Lanka. The Green-billed Coucal is a rare and shy species of the tall rainforests of southwest Sri Lanka. It nests in a bush, and the typical clutch is 2-3 eggs.
This is a large species at 43 cm. Its head and body are purple-black, the wings are maroon above and black below, and the long tail is dark green. The bill is a distinctive light green. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are duller and streaked.
The Green-billed Coucal takes a wide range of insects, caterpillars and small vertebrates, but snails are a favourite. It occasionally eats other food items.
This species is somewhat smaller and less contrasted than the widespread Greater Coucal. Despite its size and distinctive call, this is a difficult species to see because of the dense habitat in which it lives and its retiring nature.
This coucal has a small and declining population as a result of the forest destruction.
In Culture
In Sri Lanka, this bird is known as Batta atti-kukula or, Wal atti-kukula in Sinhala Language.[2] This bird appears in a 20 rupee Sri Lankan postal stamp.[3]
References
- ^ Wijesinghe, Martin (1999). "Nesting of Green-billed Coucals Centropus chlororhynchos in Sinharaja, Sri Lanka" (PDF). Forktail. 15: 43–45.
- ^ Anonymous (1998). "Vernacular Names of the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent" (PDF). Buceros. 3 (1): 53–109.
- ^ http://www.birdtheme.org/country/srilanka.html
- Template:IUCN2006 Database entry includes a range map, a brief justification of why this species is vulnerable, and the criteria used