Photo: Luke Marcos Imbong / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-faced Coucal
Centropus melanops
Black-faced Coucal (Centropus melanops) — Cuckoos & Turacos of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-faced Coucal (Centropus melanops) is a member of the Cuculidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 221 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 melanops
Where it lives
East Visayas and Mindanao group (east-central. southern Philippines)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 221 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cuculidae
- Order
- Cuculiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Critically Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-faced Coucal is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Black-faced Coucal is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-faced Coucal (Centropus melanops) is a species of bird in the Cuculidae family, part of the order Cuculiformes. It occurs naturally across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR East Visayas and Mindanao group (ec. s Philippines).
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 221 g, with a wing length of about 15.9 cm and a tail of around 22.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 106,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-faced Coucal?
The Black-faced Coucal is a large bird that weighs around 221 g.
Where does the Black-faced Coucal live?
The Black-faced Coucal is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR East Visayas and Mindanao group (ec. s Philippines), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black-faced Coucal belong to?
The Black-faced Coucal (Centropus melanops) belongs to the Cuculidae family, in the order Cuculiformes.
What does the Black-faced Coucal eat?
The Black-faced Coucal is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-faced Coucal migrate?
The Black-faced Coucal is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-faced 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-faced Coucal make?
1 real field recording of the Black-faced Coucal — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-faced Coucal's range?
The Black-faced Coucal has a mapped global range of about 106,000 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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