Centropus phasianinus
A large 'pheasant-like', ground-dwelling cuckoo, the Pheasant Coucal has a long tail and short rounded wings. In its breeding plumage, it has a black head, neck and underbody with the upperparts and wings reddish-brown with black and cream barring and the black tail is barred orange. Out of breeding, the head and back return to a reddish chestnut colour and the underparts are cinnamon brown, with all streaked boldly white. The eye is red. Sexes are similar in plumage, but females are larger than males. Young birds look like paler, non-breeding adults with orange spots on the head, neck and upper body. When disturbed, coucals run rather than fly, or fly clumsily, plunging into cover. Unlike most other cuckoos, the Pheasant Coucal is not a nest parasite.
Not Threatened.
A large 'pheasant-like', ground-dwelling cuckoo, the Pheasant Coucal has a long tail and short rounded wings. In its breeding plumage, it has a black head, neck and underbody with the upperparts and wings reddish-brown with black and cream barring and the black tail is barred orange. Out of breeding, the head and back return to a reddish chestnut colour and the underparts are cinnamon brown, with all streaked boldly white. The eye is red. Sexes are similar in plumage, but females are larger than males. Young birds look like paler, non-breeding adults with orange spots on the head, neck and upper body. When disturbed, coucals run rather than fly, or fly clumsily, plunging into cover. Unlike most other cuckoos, the Pheasant Coucal is not a nest parasite.
50-70 cm. 380 g
Taxonomy:
- Cuculus phasianinus Latham, 1801, New South Wales. Forms a superspecies with C. spilopterus, C. bernsteini and C. chalybeus. Form mui of Timor may possibly represent a separate species, but to date known only from a single specimen. Six subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * mui Mason & McKean, 1984 - Timor. * propinquus Mayr, 1937 - N New Guinea. * nigricans (Salvadori, 1876) - SE New Guinea and Yule I. * thierfelderi Stresemann, 1927 - S New Guinea and NW Torres Strait islands. * melanurus Gould, 1847 - N & NW Australia. * phasianinus (Latham, 1801) - E Australia
Prefers dense understorey vegetation, particularly grasses, rushes, bracken and sedges, in open forests and woodlands, and around wetlands. Often found in sugar cane plantations near wetlands, on farmlands with thick grasses and weed-infested thickets, such as Lantana. Often seen in parks, gardens and along roads or railway lines.
Feeds on the ground on large insects, frogs, lizards, eggs and young of birds and, sometimes, small mammals.
Pheasant Coucals form lasting pairs and, unlike other Australian cuckoos, build their own nests and raise their young themselves. The nest is usually hidden in thick grass or sugar cane or in weedy thickets and is a platform of sticks, grass or rushes, lined with leaves and grasses. The male usually incubates the eggs and feeds the young, with the female helping with feeding. More than one clutch can be laid in one season. Breeding season: September to March Clutch size: 3 to 5 Incubation: 15 days Time in nest: 13 days