Blue-silk cuckoo

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Blue-silk cuckoo
Blue silk cuckoo (Coua caerulea)

Blue silk cuckoo ( Coua caerulea )

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Cuckoo birds (Cuculiformes)
Family : Cuckoos (Cuculidae)
Subfamily : Great spotted cuckoo (Phaenicophaeinae)
Genre : Silkworms ( Coua )
Type : Blue-silk cuckoo
Scientific name
Coua caerulea
( Linnaeus , 1766)

The blue coua ( Coua caerulea ), also Blaucoua or Blue-Coua called, is a cuckoo of the island Madagascar endemic genus of coua ( Coua ).

features

The blue silk cuckoo is a large cuckoo that becomes about 48–50 cm long. There is no such thing as sexual dimorphism . The plumage is dark blue, the wings and feathers shimmer purple. The orbital ring is usually single-colored blue, sometimes two-colored. The area in front of the eye is colored lavender, behind the eye is colored cobalt blue. The bill and feet are black.

distribution and habitat

The blue silk cuckoo, like all other members of the genus of the silk cuckoo, is endemic to Madagascar. It occurs there mainly in the north and east of the island. The blue silky cuckoo lives there in various habitats such as tropical rainforests , plantations and mangroves . Due to its wide distribution, the species is classified by the IUCN as not endangered.

Way of life

The diet of the blue silk cuckoo mostly consists of insects such as B. cicadas , ghosts or caterpillars , which are usually collected from leaves. Reptiles such as chameleons or various amphibians are also collected from the ground as food. Fruits of the genus Symphonia and Cussonia as well as tree sap from Sloanea rhodanta also serve as food . The birds travel individually, as a pair or in groups. The nest is built at a height of about 3–5 m. In contrast to other cuckoo birds , the blue silk cuckoo is not a breeding parasite ; the young are raised by both parents.

literature

  • Johannes Erritzøe , Clive F. Mann, Frederik Brammer, Richard A. Fuller: Cuckoos of the World (Helm Identification Guides) . Christopher Helm Publishers Ltd, London 2012, ISBN 978-071-366-034-0 .
  • Robert B. Payne: The Cuckoos (Bird Families of the World No. 15). Oxford University Press, Oxford 2005, ISBN 0-19-850213-3 .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Payne p. 271
  2. ↑ a b Erritzoe et al. P. 215
  3. ↑ Coua caerulea in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.2. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2014.

Web links

Commons : Blue silk cuckoo ( Coua caerulea )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files