Giant Coua

Appearance

Giant Couas are approximately 62 cm in length and have a blue patch around their eyes, characteristic of the Coua genus and similar to African Turacos . As a member of the Cuckoo family, they have a reversible third toe and resemble Coucals in their method of scrambling through plant tangles for food. Observations indicate that they can climb 10 meters high from the ground.

Status

Several studies support the need to conserve the Giant Coua. ''C. gigas'' are among locally vulnerable species of Madagascar that are occasionally hunted and trapped by children. Disturbance by fire or logging can potentially compromise their resource use and result in an added threat to these species.

Human alteration modifies the habitat structure and has an impact on foraging behavior and habitat selection. Selective logging is a major disturbance for forest insectivorous birds, particularly the Giant Coua. Logging imposes a negative impact on ''C. gigas'' density, and increased logging or burning could reduce the optimal habitat and decrease the density of this species. It is necessary to retain a diversity of foraging nutrients in different habitat types to sustain the normal foraging activities of these bird.

Habitat

''C. gigas'' subsist on seeds, insects and some small vertebrates such as chameleons. This species of bird is often encountered in large unlogged gallery forests that lack dense shrub layers, which provides greater mobility and implies a preference for undisturbed forest with tall trees.