Greater coucal
Scientific name: Centropus sinensis (Stephens, 1815)
Overview
The greater coucal or crow pheasant, is a large non-parasitic member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes. A widespread resident in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, it is divided into several subspecies, some being treated as full species. They are large, crow-like with a long tail and coppery brown wings and found in a wide range of habitats from jungle to cultivation and urban gardens. They are weak fliers, and are often seen clambering about in vegetation or walking on the ground as they forage for insects, eggs and nestlings of other birds. They have a familiar deep resonant call which is associated with omens in many parts of its range.
From the Wikipedia article “Greater coucal”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Conservation status
Least concern on the IUCN Red List, as recorded on Wikidata, citing The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021.3.
Size and lifespan
| Measurement | Value |
|---|---|
| Adult weight (male) | 247 g |
| Adult weight (female) | 319 g |
Source: Wikidata, citing “The Cuckoos”, book published in 2005.
Where it lives
The Catalogue of Life records it in: Southern Asia.
Common names
Names in other languages (12)
- Arabic
- كوكال صيني
- Bengali
- বড় কুবো
- Chinese
- 褐翅鴉鵑, 褐翅鸦鹃
- French
- Grand Coucal
- German
- Heckenkuckuck
- Hindi
- महोख
- Indonesian
- bubut besar
- Japanese
- オオバンケン
- Persian
- کوکال بزرگ
- Portuguese
- cucal-real
- Russian
- Обыкновенная шпорцевая кукушка
- Spanish
- Cucal chino
Related animals
Sources
-
Catalogue of Life — scientific name, classification, common names and range.
Version 2026-09-11, CC BY 4.0.
This species in the Catalogue of Life.
Citation
Bánki, O., Roskov, Y., Döring, M., Ower, G., Hernández Robles, D. R., Plata Corredor, C. A., Stjernegaard Jeppesen, T., Örn, A., Pape, T., Hobern, D., Garnett, S., Little, H., DeWalt, R. E., Miller, J., Orrell, T., Aalbu, R., Abbott, J., Aedo, C., Aescht, E., et al. (2026). Catalogue of Life (Version 2026-09-11). Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgz5n Source database: The Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- GBIF — species page and recorded occurrences.
- Wikidata — conservation status, measurements, names in other languages. Q767112, CC0 1.0.
- Wikipedia — overview, from the article “Greater coucal”, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Photo — J.M.Garg, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. File page.
Last updated: 4 October 2026