Black-billed Coucal (Centropus bernsteini)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Black-billed Coucal

Centropus bernsteini Schlegel, 1866

162 gWeight

The black-billed coucal or lesser black coucal (Centropus bernsteini) is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae.

Busiest months: August · Most records: Indonesia, Papua New Guinea

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Black-billed Coucal has been recorded at 20 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. NimbokrangIndonesia56 records
  2. Nimbokrang – Jalan Korea swamp forestIndonesia46 records
  3. Tabubil-Kiunga Rd – Km 17Papua New Guinea42 records
More places
  1. Sorong MangrovesIndonesia36 records
  2. Boystown Road – Bowerbird HillPapua New Guinea30 records
  3. MalagufukIndonesia27 records
  4. Malagufuk villageIndonesia24 records
  5. Fly River – between Kiunga and Elevala RiverPapua New Guinea19 records
  6. Elevala RiverPapua New Guinea14 records
  7. Elevala River – between Fly River and Ketu RiverPapua New Guinea14 records

Countries and regions with the most records

IndonesiaPapua New Guinea

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The black-billed coucal or lesser black coucal (Centropus bernsteini) is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in New Guinea.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Black-billed Coucal?

The Black-billed Coucal weighs around 162 g.

Where does the Black-billed Coucal live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: Batanta (Raja Ampat Islands, northwest of New Guinea), Bird's Head and Neck (northwestern New Guinea), west-central to east-central and northeastern (Huon Peninsula) New Guinea and Manam (north of northeastern New Guinea). It is most often recorded in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

When is the best time to see the Black-billed Coucal?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in August (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Black-billed Coucal endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black-billed Coucal as Least Concern.

What does the Black-billed Coucal eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Black-billed Coucal in?

It belongs to the family Cuckoos (Cuculidae), order Cuculiformes.

At a glance

Weight
162 g
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
186 mm
Tail
250 mm
Bill
36 mm
Tarsus
44 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Australasia: Batanta (Raja Ampat Islands, northwest of New Guinea), Bird's Head and Neck (northwestern New Guinea), west-central to east-central and northeastern (Huon Peninsula) New Guinea and Manam (north of northeastern New Guinea)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Cuckoos Cuculidae
Genus
Centropus

Other birds in the genus Centropus

Buff-headed CoucalBuff-headed CoucalCentropus miloWhite-necked CoucalWhite-necked CoucalCentropus ateralbusIvory-billed CoucalIvory-billed CoucalCentropus menbekiBiak CoucalBiak CoucalCentropus chalybeusRufous CoucalRufous CoucalCentropus unirufusGreen-billed CoucalGreen-billed CoucalCentropus chlororhynchosBlack-faced CoucalBlack-faced CoucalCentropus melanopsBlack-hooded CoucalBlack-hooded CoucalCentropus steeriiShort-toed CoucalShort-toed CoucalCentropus rectunguisBay CoucalBay CoucalCentropus celebensisGabon CoucalGabon CoucalCentropus anselliBlack-throated CoucalBlack-throated CoucalCentropus leucogaster
Black-billed Coucal

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by (c) Joseph Morlan, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA). ↗

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