Red breast silk cuckoo

Red breast silk cuckoo
	Red breast silk cuckoo ( Coua serriana )
Systematics
Class :	Birds (aves)
Order :	Cuckoo birds (Cuculiformes)
Family :	Cuckoos (Cuculidae)
Subfamily :	Great spotted cuckoo (Phaenicophaeinae)
Genre :	Silkworms ( Coua )
Type :	Red breast silk cuckoo
Scientific name
	Coua serriana
	Pucheran , 1845

The red breast silk cuckoo ( Coua serriana ) is a species of bird from the genus of the silk cuckoo ( Coua ) endemic to the island of Madagascar . It is a large, well-built and long-tailed cuckoo that lives mostly on the ground. Like all other species of Couas, the red breasted silky cuckoo does not brood paratism, but rather raises its offspring itself.

No subspecies are distinguished for this type of cuckoo. The IUCN classifies the red breast silk cuckoo in the category not endangered ( least concern ).

features

The red breast silk cuckoo reaches a height of 42 centimeters and weighs an average of about 300 grams. It is therefore larger than the red-forehead silk cuckoo and compared to it is darker plumage and has longer legs and a thicker beak. The wing length averages 16.6 centimeters. The beak of the males is on average 2.56 centimeters long, the females have a slightly longer beak with 2.79 centimeters. The females also have a slightly longer tail plumage: it measures an average of 22.5 centimeters, while the tail plumage of the males is 21.9 centimeters long. Otherwise there is no noticeable gender dimorphism .

The sexes look the same. The top and wings are dark brown to olive green, the tail is long and blue-black with a brownish-black underside. The chest is reddish brown, the throat and face are black. The parting is olive, the beak is dark, the legs are brown. The brown iris is surrounded by a blue eye ring. The bare skin around the eyes, framed by black feathers, is light blue above the eyes, otherwise blue.

The young bird is paler overall, also the beak, the eye region fletched and still unrimmed.

voice

The red-breasted silk cuckoo is a very loud cuckoo type. A melodic tee oooo with a slightly sloping pitch is very often heard . Other calls are a repeated, dark hoor ha ha or an almost croaking chee-guall . The alarm call is a harsh, widely audible eeowll . Individuals react to the calls of other conspecifics and also begin to call.

distribution and habitat

The red breasted silky cuckoo lives in preserved rainforest in northeast Madagascar. The distribution area extends in a wide band from the Ambanja in the northeast over the peninsula and the Masoala National Park to about the capital Antsiranana .

Compared to the red-browed silky cuckoo , a closely related species, the red-breasted silky cuckoo inhabits more open areas with limited ground vegetation and occurs at lower altitudes. Its height distribution extends up to 1200 m. The distribution area includes the Masoala National Park in the northeast.

The red breasted silky cuckoo is very common in some regions of its range. It is particularly common in the region around Maroansetra and in the forest areas around Sihanaka. There are several nature reserves and national parks in its area, such as the Mantadia National Park and the Masoala National Park .

Way of life

The red breast silk cuckoo is a shy and secretive cuckoo. He lives solitary, in pairs and small family groups. They mostly stay near the ground, usually looking for food directly on the ground or occasionally sitting motionless on low stumps or branches that run just above the ground. Startled red-breasted silkworms do not fly up, but quickly seek cover. With this fast movement you keep your body almost horizontal to the ground. It mainly eats berries and fruits, but also beetles and two-winged birds . It is more common near trees where other fruit-eating birds look for food in the canopy.

Reproduction

The reproductive biology of the red breasted silk cuckoo has not yet been conclusively investigated. Nestlings were observed in October and November.

The bowl-shaped nest, about 2–4 m high, consists of twigs. The nest is particularly often built in epiphytic ferns or in screw trees . The clutch consists of 2 white eggs.

literature

Johannes Erhitzøe, Clive F. Mann, Frederik P. Brammer, Richard A. Fuller: Cuckoos of the World . Christopher Helm, London 2012, ISBN 978-0-7136-6034-0 .