Lesser Coucal, 7/4/2012

Knowing from one birdwatching friend's blog that Lesser Coucals appeared in Maokong area of Wenshan District, Taipei City, I headed for Maokong area. After a little bit time-consuming search, luckily I heard a constant "boo-goo, boo-goo,..." sound. Instantly I knew it came from some kind of bird in the Cuculidae family, so does Lesser Coucal. And guess what? It did come from this adult Lesser Coucal in its summer plumage.



A subadult also appeared.



Lesser Coucal is common local bird in Taiwan. They often appear alone in bushes at low altitude. I was lucky to see the bird once in this February(see "Lesser Coucal, 2/21/2012").



Subadult



Adult video, summer plumage



Subadult video

Chinese name:	番鵑
English name:	Lesser Coucal
Nickname:
Scientific name:	Centropus bengalensis
Order:	Cuculiformes
Family:	Cuculidae
Species status:	Species
Conservation status:	Least Concern
Migration status:	Taiwan local bird
Frequency of appearance:	Common in Taiwan
Foods:	Tiny animals, fruits
Habitat:	Woods, bushes
Altitude:	Low altitude
Behavior:	Often appear alone in bushes at low altitude. When breeding, the parent birds might stand on top of trees.
Characteristics:	General Characteristics: About 39 cm long. Summer plumage: Most of its body is shining black, while the wings are reddish-brown. Winter plumage: Its body is mostly dark brown. Belly is light yellowish-brown. There are horizontal thin stripes on the head. There are vertical thin stripes on the neck, breast and back, with similar formation on the wings. Subadult plumage: Similar to winter plumage, but the color is lighter. The horizontal yellowish-brown stripes on the wings are wide. Belly is white.
Breeding places:	Original species live in Taiwan, Lanyu, coastal area of South China, Hainan Island, etc. Subspecies live in Philippine, Brunei, India, Myanmar, etc.
Migration destinations:
Time photographed:	7/4/2012
Location found:	Wenshan District, Taipei City
Sources:	Internet
Notes:

View Lesser Coucal in winter plumage(click to view).