Wildlifeof Madagascar
Giant Coua
Couas & Cuckoos
Photo: DickDaniels (http://theworldbirds.org/) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Coua gigas
Basic stats
Diet
Insects, seeds and small vertebrates such as chameleons
Habitat
Dry forest and gallery forest, favouring undisturbed forest with tall trees and little undergrowth
Range
Lowlands of western and southern Madagascar, up to about 700m
Size
About 60–62cm
Weight
About 424g (AVONET)
The giant coua is the largest coua, around 60cm long and almost twice the size of Coquerel's coua. Like other couas it has a blue patch of bare skin around the eye, similar to that of the African turacos, and a long tail. As a member of the cuckoo family it has a reversible outer toe, and it scrambles through tangled vines like a coucal (Wikipedia, general species account).
It feeds mainly on the ground, taking seeds, insects and small vertebrates including chameleons. It prefers large unlogged gallery forests without a dense shrub layer, which gives it room to move, and can climb up to about 10m. Studies show it forages differently in logged and unlogged forest, and logging reduces its density. The loud descending call is a feature of the dry forests of the west (Wikipedia; Collins Bird Guide).
The genus Coua has ten species, more than any other bird genus in Madagascar. Giant couas are sometimes hunted and trapped by children in some areas, and fire or logging can reduce their habitat.
Quick answers
- What does the Giant Coua eat?
- Insects, seeds and small vertebrates such as chameleons
- What habitat does the Giant Coua live in?
- Dry forest and gallery forest, favouring undisturbed forest with tall trees and little undergrowth
- Where is the Giant Coua found?
- Lowlands of western and southern Madagascar, up to about 700m
- How big is the Giant Coua?
- About 60–62cm
- How much does the Giant Coua weigh?
- About 424g (AVONET)