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Australian Wildlife

  Pheasant Coucal (Centropus phasianinus)





Pheasant Coucal | Centropus phasianinus photo
Pheasant Coucal in Papua New Guinea.

Image by markaharper1 - Some rights reserved.    (view image details)

Pheasant Coucal | Centropus phasianinus photo
Pheasant Coucal (Centropus phasianinus) Kobble Creek, SE Queensland, Australia

Image by www.aviceda.org - Some rights reserved.    (view image details)







PHEASANT COUCAL FACTS

Description
The Pheasant Coucal is a large cuckoo similar in shape to the Pheasant. It has a black head, neck and underbody with the upperparts and wings reddish-brown with black and cream barring It moves clumsily through undergrowth and does not fly far.

Other Names
Swamp Pheasant

Size
65cm

Habitat
dense growth in woodland, along roadsides and occasionally in gardens

Food
large insects, frogs, lizards, eggs, young birds, small mammals.

Breeding
Unlike most cuckoos they build their own nest. The nest is a platform of sticks, grass or rushes, lined with leaves and grasses, and is built in thick grass or bushes. Lays 3-5 eggs.

Range
northern and eastern Australia, as well as New Guinea

distribution map showing range of Centropus phasianinus in Australia

Credits:
Map is from Atlas of Living Australia website at https://biocache.ala.org.au licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.



Classification
Class:Aves
Order:Cuculiformes
Family:Centropodidae
Genus:Centropus
Species:phasianinus
Common Name:Pheasant Coucal