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Crested coua

December 15, 2023

The crested coua (Coua cristata) is a common medium sized bird member of the cuckoo family, Cuculidae.[2] It is endemic to Madagascar,[3] mainly found in the coastal regions of the island.[4] The crested coua is a weak flyer, so it will often be observed hopping from branch to branch in high canopies.[5][6] It is distinguished mainly by its greenish-grey back, its prominent grey head crest, rufous-coloured breast, white abdomen and bright turquoise and blue patches of bare skin around the eyes.[7]  

Crested coua
At Anjajavy Forest, Madagascar
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
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

Description edit

Adults edit

The adult crested coua is a medium-sized bird, averaging between 12 and 17 inches (30 to 44 cm) in length.[8][9] It has a greenish-gray plumage on the back, a white abdomen, rufous-colored chest and brown eyes. Its long tail is purplish-blue with white tips and its bill and beak are black. Its defining characteristics are its prominent grey head crest and, as goes for all couas, its colourful patches of bare skin around the eyes, which is blue and turquoise in crested couas. In flight, it is recognizable from its short rounded wings and long white-tipped tail.[10]

Furthermore, this bird's third toe is reversible, which helps it have a strong grip when hopping around high branches in the canopy. Although they are common birds in their range, they can be hard to see in the wild since their greenish-gray coloration tends to blend with shadows and acting as camouflage.[11] Males and females are similar physically.

Juveniles edit

Juveniles are comparable to adult crested couas however, they are paler in colour, have a shorter head crest and do not have the characteristic bright blue and turquoise ring around the eye.[12]

Chicks edit

Young chicks are altricial, which means they are naked at birth and need full parental attention for their early development.[13] During that time, they have unique red and white "bullseyes" inside their mouth, supposedly used to indicate to their parents where to put the food. This characteristic is thought to be particularly useful at darker hours of the day.[8][9] They also have a dark skin and a reddish bill at that stage.

Taxonomy edit

The crested coua is one of nine living bird species in the subfamily Couinae, which only has one genus, the Coua.[14] These birds are part of the order Cuculiformes, which includes Cuckoos, Turacos and Roadrunners.[2] Couas are a monophyletic group of endemic birds of Madagascar.[3]

Three of the coua species are arboreal (Blue Coua (C. caerulea), Crested Coua (C. cristata) and Verreaux's Coua (C. verreauxi)), and six species are ground dwelling (Coquerel's Coua (C. coquereli), Running Coua (C. cursor), Giant Coua (C. gigas), Red-fronted Coua (C. reynaudii), Red-capped Coua (C. ruficeps) and Red-breasted Coua (C. serriana)).[3]

Subspecies edit

The crested coua has four subspecies:[2]

  • Coua cristata cristata
  • Coua cristata dumonti
  • Coua cristata pyropyga
  • Coua cristata maxima: Only known from a single specimen. It is now possibly extinct (late 20th century) or a hybrid.[4]

Distribution and habitat edit

Crested couas are endemic to Madagascar and are the most widespread of all couas. Although their population numbers are unknown, their range is thought to be 562,000 sq km along the coast of the island. They are found at altitudes as high as 900m above sea level, but are most commonly seen around altitudes of 700m.

Despite being mostly found in littoral and deciduous forests, their habitats also consist open areas like savannas and brushlands. They will occasionally be found in mangroves and palms as well. Additionally, they usually avoid deciduous shrublands, selecting mainly for mosaics of forests and croplands.[3] As arboreal species, they tend to use forest layers above five meters and they nest, on average, around nine meters from the ground.[5]

Threats edit

Although this species is marked as least concerned due to their stable populations,[15] crested coua's numbers are believed to be constantly declining due to habitat loss, degradation and hunting pressures.[3]

It is mostly hunted by humans for its tasty meat, but its main natural predators are fossas, hawks and eagles.[16]

Behaviour edit

Despite being capable of flight, crested couas are weak flyers, so they are rather observed restlessly bouncing between branches in the canopy. Keeping balance with their long tail and grasping branches with their reversible toe, they are able to move quickly and be agile.[17] Secretive, they tend to stay in groups of three to five individuals outside of breeding season. They do not tend to flock, although they sometimes join mixed-species flocks.[18]

Vocalization edit

They are highly vocal birds and have several different calls that we can hear in the wild.[6] The most commons are “laser gun calls”, which are a series of piercing sounds, and doubled, wooden “touk-touk” sounds.[19] It is also possible to hear calls such as “koa-koa-koa” and “guay-guay-guay-guay-gwuck”.[9][20] Its call can sometimes serve as an indicator of predator presence in the environment.[16]

Couas, like many birds, tend to be more vocal around sunset, often creating mixed chorus with other species.[21] They also raise their head crest while calling.[7]

Reproduction edit

Breeding crested couas are usually found in monogamous pairs.[13] Unlike some other species of cuckoos, these birds do not take part in brood parasitism, but rather, both male and female co-parent the chicks.[8] The pair builds their nest themselves out of twigs and hide it in trees or bushes to avoid detection by predators. Two single white eggs are laid and incubated by both parents.[22] The chicks are born altricial with both parents equally helping in raising the young until they are about two weeks old, when they leave the nest. Couas have low fecundity, but they have a high adult longevity (up to 15 years in captivity), which is why they can afford to have a smaller brood size. Additionally, because of their short young-rearing period, it is possible for them to have several clutches in one breeding season, which is from September to March.[20]

Diet edit

They have an omnivorous diet consisting of arthropods, fruits, berries, snails, chameleons, leaves, seeds and others. They essentially feed on everything size appropriate that they find in their environment.[20][7]

Gallery edit

References edit

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Coua cristata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22725453A94892874. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22725453A94892874.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "ITIS - Report: Coua cristata". www.itis.gov. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  3. ^ a b c d e Chiatante, Gianpasquale (2021). "Spatial distribution of an assemblage of an endemic genus of birds: an example from Madagascar". African Journal of Ecology. 60: 13–26. doi:10.1111/aje.12917. ISSN 1365-2028. S2CID 239682915.
  4. ^ a b "Coua cristata (Crested Coua) - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
  5. ^ a b URANO, EIICHIRO; YAMAGISHI, SATOSHI; ANDRIANARIMISA, ARISTIDE; ANDRIATSARAFARA, SOLOFO (2008-04-03). "Different habitat use among three sympatric species of couas Coua cristata, C. coquereli and C. ruficeps in western Madagascar". Ibis. 136 (4): 485–487. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919x.1994.tb01125.x. ISSN 0019-1019.
  6. ^ a b "Crested Coua - eBird". ebird.org. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  7. ^ a b c Kirwan, Guy M.; Payne, Robert B.; del Hoyo, Josep; Collar, Nigel (2020-03-26). Billerman, Shawn M; Keeney, Brooke K; Schulenberg, Thomas S (eds.). "Crested Coua (Coua cristata)". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.crecou1.01.1. S2CID 241512973.
  8. ^ a b c "Crested Couas | Beauty of Birds". www.beautyofbirds.com. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  9. ^ a b c "Crested Coua". Rosamond Gifford Zoo. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  10. ^ "Coua huppé", Wikipédia (in French), 2020-12-17, retrieved 2021-11-12
  11. ^ Nathan (2013-02-11). "The Bird with a Bullseye - Crested Coua". Animal Facts For Kids | Wild Facts. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  12. ^ Payne, Robert B. (2005-07-14). The Cuckoos. OUP Oxford. ISBN 978-0-19-151355-8.
  13. ^ a b CHOUTEAU, Philippe (2003). "Breeding and territoriality of three ground coua species (Aves, genus Coua, Cuculidae) in the dry forest of western Madagascar". hdl.handle.net (in French). École Normale Supérieure Laboratoire d'Écologie. hdl:2042/55549. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  14. ^ Urano, Eiichiro; Yamagishi, Satoshi; Andrianarimisa, Aristide; Andriatsarafara, Solofo (1994). "Different habitat use among three sympatric species of couas Coua cristata, C. coquereli and C. ruficeps in western Madagascar". Ibis. 136 (4): 485–487. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.1994.tb01125.x. ISSN 1474-919X.
  15. ^ International), BirdLife International (BirdLife (2016-10-01). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Coua cristata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
  16. ^ a b Seiler, Melanie; Schwitzer, Christoph; Holderied, Marc (2013-10-01). "Anti-predator behaviour of Sahamalaza sportive lemurs, Lepilemur sahamalazensis, at diurnal sleeping sites". Contributions to Zoology. 82 (3): 131–S1. doi:10.1163/18759866-08203003. ISSN 1875-9866.
  17. ^ "WCS Wild View: No Trick, Crested Coua Is A Beautiful Treat". blog.wcs.org. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  18. ^ "Crested Coua | North Carolina Zoo". www.nczoo.org. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  19. ^ Behrens, Ken; Barnes, Keith (2016-10-25). CUCKOOS. Princeton University Press. doi:10.1515/9781400880676-035. ISBN 978-1-4008-8067-6.
  20. ^ a b c "The Crested Coua". MADAMAGAZINE. 2019-12-28. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
  21. ^ "Animals of Madagascar | Charles Paddock Zoo | Your Central Coast Zoo". charlespaddockzoo.org. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  22. ^ "Rearing Couas in Weltvogelpark Walsrode | Beauty of Birds". www.beautyofbirds.com. Retrieved 2021-11-12.

External links edit

December 15, 2023
crested, coua, crested, coua, coua, cristata, common, medium, sized, bird, member, cuckoo, family, cuculidae, endemic, madagascar, mainly, found, coastal, regions, island, crested, coua, weak, flyer, will, often, observed, hopping, from, branch, branch, high, . The crested coua Coua cristata is a common medium sized bird member of the cuckoo family Cuculidae 2 It is endemic to Madagascar 3 mainly found in the coastal regions of the island 4 The crested coua is a weak flyer so it will often be observed hopping from branch to branch in high canopies 5 6 It is distinguished mainly by its greenish grey back its prominent grey head crest rufous coloured breast white abdomen and bright turquoise and blue patches of bare skin around the eyes 7 Crested couaAt Anjajavy Forest MadagascarConservation statusLeast Concern IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass AvesOrder CuculiformesFamily CuculidaeGenus CouaSpecies C cristataBinomial nameCoua cristata Linnaeus 1766 SynonymsCuculus cristatus Linnaeus 1766 Contents 1 Description 1 1 Adults 1 2 Juveniles 1 3 Chicks 2 Taxonomy 2 1 Subspecies 3 Distribution and habitat 4 Threats 5 Behaviour 5 1 Vocalization 5 2 Reproduction 5 3 Diet 6 Gallery 7 References 8 External linksDescription editAdults edit The adult crested coua is a medium sized bird averaging between 12 and 17 inches 30 to 44 cm in length 8 9 It has a greenish gray plumage on the back a white abdomen rufous colored chest and brown eyes Its long tail is purplish blue with white tips and its bill and beak are black Its defining characteristics are its prominent grey head crest and as goes for all couas its colourful patches of bare skin around the eyes which is blue and turquoise in crested couas In flight it is recognizable from its short rounded wings and long white tipped tail 10 Furthermore this bird s third toe is reversible which helps it have a strong grip when hopping around high branches in the canopy Although they are common birds in their range they can be hard to see in the wild since their greenish gray coloration tends to blend with shadows and acting as camouflage 11 Males and females are similar physically Juveniles edit Juveniles are comparable to adult crested couas however they are paler in colour have a shorter head crest and do not have the characteristic bright blue and turquoise ring around the eye 12 Chicks edit Young chicks are altricial which means they are naked at birth and need full parental attention for their early development 13 During that time they have unique red and white bullseyes inside their mouth supposedly used to indicate to their parents where to put the food This characteristic is thought to be particularly useful at darker hours of the day 8 9 They also have a dark skin and a reddish bill at that stage Taxonomy editThe crested coua is one of nine living bird species in the subfamily Couinae which only has one genus the Coua 14 These birds are part of the order Cuculiformes which includes Cuckoos Turacos and Roadrunners 2 Couas are a monophyletic group of endemic birds of Madagascar 3 Three of the coua species are arboreal Blue Coua C caerulea Crested Coua C cristata and Verreaux s Coua C verreauxi and six species are ground dwelling Coquerel s Coua C coquereli Running Coua C cursor Giant Coua C gigas Red fronted Coua C reynaudii Red capped Coua C ruficeps and Red breasted Coua C serriana 3 Subspecies edit The crested coua has four subspecies 2 Coua cristata cristata Coua cristata dumonti Coua cristata pyropyga Coua cristata maxima Only known from a single specimen It is now possibly extinct late 20th century or a hybrid 4 Distribution and habitat editCrested couas are endemic to Madagascar and are the most widespread of all couas Although their population numbers are unknown their range is thought to be 562 000 sq km along the coast of the island They are found at altitudes as high as 900m above sea level but are most commonly seen around altitudes of 700m Despite being mostly found in littoral and deciduous forests their habitats also consist open areas like savannas and brushlands They will occasionally be found in mangroves and palms as well Additionally they usually avoid deciduous shrublands selecting mainly for mosaics of forests and croplands 3 As arboreal species they tend to use forest layers above five meters and they nest on average around nine meters from the ground 5 Threats editAlthough this species is marked as least concerned due to their stable populations 15 crested coua s numbers are believed to be constantly declining due to habitat loss degradation and hunting pressures 3 It is mostly hunted by humans for its tasty meat but its main natural predators are fossas hawks and eagles 16 Behaviour editDespite being capable of flight crested couas are weak flyers so they are rather observed restlessly bouncing between branches in the canopy Keeping balance with their long tail and grasping branches with their reversible toe they are able to move quickly and be agile 17 Secretive they tend to stay in groups of three to five individuals outside of breeding season They do not tend to flock although they sometimes join mixed species flocks 18 Vocalization edit They are highly vocal birds and have several different calls that we can hear in the wild 6 The most commons are laser gun calls which are a series of piercing sounds and doubled wooden touk touk sounds 19 It is also possible to hear calls such as koa koa koa and guay guay guay guay gwuck 9 20 Its call can sometimes serve as an indicator of predator presence in the environment 16 Couas like many birds tend to be more vocal around sunset often creating mixed chorus with other species 21 They also raise their head crest while calling 7 Reproduction edit Breeding crested couas are usually found in monogamous pairs 13 Unlike some other species of cuckoos these birds do not take part in brood parasitism but rather both male and female co parent the chicks 8 The pair builds their nest themselves out of twigs and hide it in trees or bushes to avoid detection by predators Two single white eggs are laid and incubated by both parents 22 The chicks are born altricial with both parents equally helping in raising the young until they are about two weeks old when they leave the nest Couas have low fecundity but they have a high adult longevity up to 15 years in captivity which is why they can afford to have a smaller brood size Additionally because of their short young rearing period it is possible for them to have several clutches in one breeding season which is from September to March 20 Diet edit They have an omnivorous diet consisting of arthropods fruits berries snails chameleons leaves seeds and others They essentially feed on everything size appropriate that they find in their environment 20 7 Gallery edit nbsp At San Diego Zoo nbsp At San Diego Zoo nbsp At Weltvogelpark Walsrode GermanyReferences edit BirdLife International 2016 Coua cristata IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016 e T22725453A94892874 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2016 3 RLTS T22725453A94892874 en Retrieved 12 November 2021 a b c ITIS Report Coua cristata www itis gov Retrieved 2021 11 11 a b c d e Chiatante Gianpasquale 2021 Spatial distribution of an assemblage of an endemic genus of birds an example from Madagascar African Journal of Ecology 60 13 26 doi 10 1111 aje 12917 ISSN 1365 2028 S2CID 239682915 a b Coua cristata Crested Coua Avibase avibase bsc eoc org Retrieved 2021 11 12 a b URANO EIICHIRO YAMAGISHI SATOSHI ANDRIANARIMISA ARISTIDE ANDRIATSARAFARA SOLOFO 2008 04 03 Different habitat use among three sympatric species of couas Coua cristata C coquereli and C ruficeps in western Madagascar Ibis 136 4 485 487 doi 10 1111 j 1474 919x 1994 tb01125 x ISSN 0019 1019 a b Crested Coua eBird ebird org Retrieved 2021 11 11 a b c Kirwan Guy M Payne Robert B del Hoyo Josep Collar Nigel 2020 03 26 Billerman Shawn M Keeney Brooke K Schulenberg Thomas S eds Crested Coua Coua cristata Birds of the World doi 10 2173 bow crecou1 01 1 S2CID 241512973 a b c Crested Couas Beauty of Birds www beautyofbirds com Retrieved 2021 11 11 a b c Crested Coua Rosamond Gifford Zoo Retrieved 2021 11 11 Coua huppe Wikipedia in French 2020 12 17 retrieved 2021 11 12 Nathan 2013 02 11 The Bird with a Bullseye Crested Coua Animal Facts For Kids Wild Facts Retrieved 2021 11 11 Payne Robert B 2005 07 14 The Cuckoos OUP Oxford ISBN 978 0 19 151355 8 a b CHOUTEAU Philippe 2003 Breeding and territoriality of three ground coua species Aves genus Coua Cuculidae in the dry forest of western Madagascar hdl handle net in French Ecole Normale Superieure Laboratoire d Ecologie hdl 2042 55549 Retrieved 2021 11 11 Urano Eiichiro Yamagishi Satoshi Andrianarimisa Aristide Andriatsarafara Solofo 1994 Different habitat use among three sympatric species of couas Coua cristata C coquereli and C ruficeps in western Madagascar Ibis 136 4 485 487 doi 10 1111 j 1474 919X 1994 tb01125 x ISSN 1474 919X International BirdLife International BirdLife 2016 10 01 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Coua cristata IUCN Red List of Threatened Species a b Seiler Melanie Schwitzer Christoph Holderied Marc 2013 10 01 Anti predator behaviour of Sahamalaza sportive lemurs Lepilemur sahamalazensis at diurnal sleeping sites Contributions to Zoology 82 3 131 S1 doi 10 1163 18759866 08203003 ISSN 1875 9866 WCS Wild View No Trick Crested Coua Is A Beautiful Treat blog wcs org Retrieved 2021 11 11 Crested Coua North Carolina Zoo www nczoo org Retrieved 2021 11 11 Behrens Ken Barnes Keith 2016 10 25 CUCKOOS Princeton University Press doi 10 1515 9781400880676 035 ISBN 978 1 4008 8067 6 a b c The Crested Coua MADAMAGAZINE 2019 12 28 Retrieved 2021 11 12 Animals of Madagascar Charles Paddock Zoo Your Central Coast Zoo charlespaddockzoo org Retrieved 2021 11 11 Rearing Couas in Weltvogelpark Walsrode Beauty of Birds www beautyofbirds com Retrieved 2021 11 12 External links editBirdLife Species Factsheet Archived 2007 09 29 at the Wayback Machine https www xeno canto org species Coua cristata for songs calls and distribution map https whileatthezoo com tag northern crested coua to see the bullseye markings inside chick s mouth Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Crested coua amp oldid 1188816188, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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