Listen to the lesser coucal
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the lesser coucal
The lesser coucal is a bird in the family Cuculidae (order Cuculiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”.
What does the lesser coucal sound like?
Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round. Listening for both helps with identification.
The recordings here are labelled as call. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
The lesser coucal (Centropus bengalensis) is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It has a wide distribution range that overlaps with several other similar species. The habitat in which it is found is often marshy land with grass and tree cover. It is distinguished by its smaller size, less prominent bill, pale shaft streaks on the feathers of the head and back. It has a much longer claw on its hind toe and a distinct call. It is also among the few coucals that show season plumage differences but like in other coucals, the sexes cannot be distinguished in the field.
Related birds in the genus Centropus
More from the family Cuculidae
Common cuckoo
Cuculus canorus
Great spotted cuckoo
Clamator glandarius
Common hawk-cuckoo
Hierococcyx varius
Yellow-billed cuckoo
Coccyzus americanus
Indian cuckoo
Cuculus micropterus
Guira cuckoo
Guira guira
Sirkeer malkoha
Taccocua leschenaultii
Large hawk-cuckoo
Hierococcyx sparverioides
African cuckoo
Cuculus gularis
Klaas's cuckoo
Chrysococcyx klaas
Black cuckoo
Cuculus clamosus
Frequently asked questions
What does a lesser coucal sound like?
You can hear 1 recording of the lesser coucal on this page, including its call. Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round.
Is the lesser coucal endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the lesser coucal as “least concern”.
What family does the lesser coucal belong to?
The lesser coucal (Centropus bengalensis) belongs to the family Cuculidae in the order Cuculiformes.
Sources & credits
- Call · Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, Kerala, India by Mike Prince – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q653049 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Lesser coucal – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Afsarnayakkan – CC BY-SA 4.0