The green-billed coucal is a member of the cuckoos. It is endemic to Sri Lanka's wet zone and listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, as the small population declined due to forest destruction and fragmentation. It inhabits the tall rainforests of southwest Sri Lanka and nests in bushes. Its typical clutch is 2–3 eggs.
Region
Southwestern Sri Lanka
Typical Environment
Occupies tall, evergreen lowland rainforests with dense undergrowth, bamboo tangles, and thickets along streams. It favors interior forest and well-wooded edges but avoids heavily degraded or open habitats. Often keeps close to the ground or mid-story where cover is dense, moving stealthily through tangles. Nests are placed low in bushes or vines within thick vegetation.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The green-billed coucal is a shy, ground-foraging cuckoo with a distinctive apple-green bill and rich chestnut wings. It is confined to Sri Lanka’s southwestern wet zone forests and is highly sensitive to habitat loss and fragmentation. Its deep, resonant hoots carry at dawn and dusk, especially after rain. Both sexes help build a domed nest low in dense vegetation and typically lay 2–3 eggs.
Temperament
solitary and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief, low glides
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, maintaining territories within dense forest. Monogamous pairs build a domed nest low in thick vegetation. Both adults share incubation and chick-rearing duties.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A deep, resonant series of hoots and booming notes, often delivered at dawn and dusk. Calls are low-pitched and carry through humid forest, sometimes accelerating or given in duets.
