| Verreaux's coua | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Cuculiformes |
| Family: | Cuculidae |
| Genus: | Coua |
| Species: | C. verreauxi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Coua verreauxi Grandidier, A, 1867
| |
Verreaux's coua (Coua verreauxi) is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is endemic to Madagascar. According to a BBC documentary, it is found only near a salt lake in the southern part of the island. The lake is 16 km long but only a couple of metres deep. The area has been drying out for the last 40,000 years and the organisms living here have become adapted to conserve water.[2]
The bird's name commemorates French ornithologist and collector Jules Verreaux.
Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. The birds are found in southern part of the spiny forest zone. They live in coastal euphorbia scrub, and are most active at dawn and dusk. Birders listen for its descending series of loud contact calls, "corick-corick-corick-corick". A sympatric species is the crested coua, C. cristata.[3]
- ^ BirdLife International (2017). "Coua verreauxi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T22684184A118448748. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22684184A118448748.en. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
- ^ BBC, Zoo Quest: Island of Marvels, Part 3. Video clip, 0:06:50 – 0:08:35, Verreaux's coua
- ^ BirdLife International (2011) Species factsheet: Coua verreauxi. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org. Retrieved 2011-12-04.