Wildlifeof Thailand
Short-toed Coucal
Cuculidae
Photo: Ian Dugdale · CC BY 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Centropus rectunguis
Basic stats
Diet
Insects and small vertebrates
Habitat
Lowland swamp forest and dense scrub
Range
Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo
Size
42cm
The short-toed coucal is a large, long-tailed cuckoo with glossy dark plumage, chestnut wings and unusually short toes. It inhabits lowland swamp forest and dense scrub in the Sundaic region, including the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. Unlike parasitic cuckoos it builds its own nest and raises its young, moving heavily through tangled vegetation to take insects and small vertebrates (Wikipedia, general species account). It is Nationally Endangered (Thailand Red Data 2025).
Quick answers
- What does the Short-toed Coucal eat?
- Insects and small vertebrates
- What habitat does the Short-toed Coucal live in?
- Lowland swamp forest and dense scrub
- Where is the Short-toed Coucal found?
- Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo
- How big is the Short-toed Coucal?
- 42cm