Photo: Joseph Morlan / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-billed Coucal
Centropus bernsteini
Black-billed Coucal (Centropus bernsteini) — Cuckoos & Turacos of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-billed Coucal (Centropus bernsteini) is a member of the Cuculidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 162 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Cuculiformes
- Family Cuculidae Cuckoos
- Genus Centropus
- Species bernsteini
Where it lives
Batanta (Raja Ampat Is., northwest of New Guinea), Bird'southern Head and Neck (northwestern New Guinea), west-central to east-central and northeastern (Huon Pen.) New Guinea and Manam (north of northeastern New Guinea)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 162 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cuculidae
- Order
- Cuculiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-billed Coucal is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Black-billed Coucal is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-billed Coucal (Centropus bernsteini) is a species of bird in the Cuculidae family, part of the order Cuculiformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Batanta (Raja Ampat Is., nw of New Guinea), Bird's Head and Neck (nw New Guinea), wc to ec and ne (Huon Pen.) New Guinea and Manam (n of ne New Guinea).
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 162 g, with a wing length of about 18.6 cm and a tail of around 25.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 517,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-billed Coucal?
The Black-billed Coucal is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 162 g.
Where does the Black-billed Coucal live?
The Black-billed Coucal is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Batanta (Raja Ampat Is., nw of New Guinea), Bird's Head and Neck (nw New Guinea), wc to ec and ne (Huon Pen.) New Guinea and Manam (n of ne New Guinea), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black-billed Coucal belong to?
The Black-billed Coucal (Centropus bernsteini) belongs to the Cuculidae family, in the order Cuculiformes.
What does the Black-billed Coucal eat?
The Black-billed Coucal is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-billed Coucal migrate?
The Black-billed Coucal is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-billed Coucal endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Black-billed Coucal make?
1 real field recording of the Black-billed Coucal — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-billed Coucal's range?
The Black-billed Coucal has a mapped global range of about 517,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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