Centropus menbeki
The Ivory-billed Coucal (*Centropus menbeki*) is a striking and substantial member of the cuckoo family (Cuculidae), distinguished by its impressive size, typically reaching 59-70 cm (23-28 inches) in length and weighing between 470-730 grams (1.0-1.6 lbs). This magnificent bird sports a glossy, iridescent black plumage that can appear purple or green in strong light, contrasted sharply by a massive, pale ivory-colored bill, which serves as its most iconic field mark. Its eyes glow with a dee...
This coucal primarily inhabits lowland rainforests, dense secondary growth, and forest edges, often favoring swampy or disturbed areas with thick undergrowth. It can be found from sea-level up to moderate elevations, typically around 1000-1500 meters.
Its diet is largely carnivorous, consisting of large insects (e.g., grasshoppers, beetles, cicadas), spiders, snails, and small vertebrates like lizards, frogs, bird eggs, and nestlings. It primarily forages on the ground, probing and gleaning.
The Ivory-billed Coucal is generally a shy and skulking bird, spending most of its time foraging on or near the ground, often in dense vegetation where its glossy black plumage provides camouflage. It moves through the undergrowth with a distinctive, somewhat clumsy gait, or clambers through tang...
The Ivory-billed Coucal is a resident species widely distributed across New Guinea and numerous satellite islands. Its primary range encompasses the entire mainland of Papua New Guinea and Western New Guinea (formerly Irian Jaya, Indonesia). The species also extends its presence to the Bismarck A...
Least Concern
- The Ivory-billed Coucal is one of the largest species in the cuckoo family, reaching nearly 70 cm (28 inches) in length. - Unlike many cuckoos, it is not a brood parasite; it builds its own nest and raises its own young. - Its massive, pale ivory-colored bill is its most distinctive feature, gi...