Centropus melanops
The Black-faced Coucal (Centropus melanops) is a striking, medium-large cuckoo species native to Southeast Asia, renowned for its glossy black head, throat, and breast, contrasting sharply with its rich chestnut-rufous wings and mantle. Measuring approximately 42-48 cm in length, this robust bird features a prominent, graduated black tail that often appears disheveled, bright red eyes, and a stout black bill with powerful black legs. Unlike many cuckoos, coucals, including C. melanops, are no...
This species primarily inhabits dense undergrowth, secondary forests, forest edges, bamboo thickets, and overgrown plantations, often in proximity to water bodies. It is typically found in lowlands and up to mid-elevation forests, generally not exceeding 1000 meters.
The Black-faced Coucal has a carnivorous diet, primarily consuming large insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars, as well as spiders, centipedes, and snails. It also preys on small vertebrates including lizards, frogs, small snakes, bird eggs, nestlings, and small rodents, primari...
Black-faced Coucals are diurnal and largely terrestrial birds, preferring to skulk through dense vegetation on strong legs rather than fly, though they are capable fliers over short distances. They are often solitary or found in pairs, maintaining fairly extensive territories, which they defend w...
The Black-faced Coucal is a resident species distributed across various islands of Southeast Asia. Its primary range includes the Philippines, encompassing major islands such as Luzon, Mindoro, Marinduque, Catanduanes, Samar, Leyte, Negros, Panay, Bohol, Mindanao, and Basilan, as well as numerous...
Least Concern
- Unlike many cuckoos, the Black-faced Coucal is not a brood parasite; it builds its own nest and raises its young, exhibiting full parental care. - It is largely terrestrial, preferring to run through dense undergrowth on its powerful legs rather than fly, earning it the nickname 'ground cuckoo'...