About Centropus toulou (Statius Muller, 1776)
The Malagasy coucal, with the scientific name Centropus toulou (Statius Muller, 1776), is a medium-sized bird. Adult individuals measure between 40 and 50 cm (16 to 20 in) in total length. Males are smaller than females: males weigh around 140 g (5 oz), while females weigh about 190 g (7 oz). Beyond size difference, males and females look very similar.
In breeding plumage, the bird is mostly black with a green gloss. Exceptions include brown wing tips and reddish brown mid to lower back. In non-breeding plumage, the head, neck, and throat are brown streaked with cream, the wings are reddish brown, the uppertail coverts are black with some pale barring, the tail is blackish brown with faint barring, and the belly is blackish brown. Its iris is red. The bill is black during breeding plumage and pale during non-breeding plumage, and the feet range from grey to black. Its call is a descending series of notes that resembles water pouring out of a bottle, and pairs often sing this call as a duet.
This species is resident in Madagascar and Aldabra, an island in the Seychelles. It may have spread to these locations via the Comoros, though it has not been recorded in the Comoros during historic times. It occupies a wide range of habitats, including undergrowth in primary and secondary forests, woodland edges, clearings, palm groves, reedbeds, marshes, mangroves, rough grassland, paddocks, and gardens, and can be found at altitudes up to 1,800 metres (5,900 ft). Two subspecies are recognized: Centropus toulou toulou from Madagascar, and Centropus toulou insularis from Aldabra.
