The Kai coucal is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is endemic to the Kai Islands of Indonesia. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the pheasant coucal.
Region
Maluku Islands (Wallacea), Indonesia
Typical Environment
Occurs on the Kai (Kei) Islands, inhabiting lowland habitats with dense cover. It frequents forest edges, scrub, tall grasslands, overgrown clearings, and coconut or mixed smallholder plantations. The species also uses secondary growth and thickets near wetlands or streams. It generally avoids the interior of mature closed-canopy forest but remains close to dense understory.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Kai coucal is a shy, ground-oriented cuckoo restricted to Indonesia’s Kai (Kei) Islands and was formerly treated as a subspecies of the pheasant coucal. It prefers dense thickets and tall grass where it runs rather than flies, using its long, graduated tail for balance. Its deep, booming calls carry far, especially at dawn and dusk, and often reveal its presence before the bird is seen.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides; generally a weak flier
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs within well-defined territories. Nests are bulky, domed structures placed low in dense vegetation. Pairs are monogamous, and males often take a leading role in incubation and chick care.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A series of deep, resonant hooping notes that may accelerate or descend in pitch, often given at dawn and dusk. Also produces grunts and croaks from cover.
Plumage
Glossy black head, neck, and underparts with rich rufous-brown wings and a long, graduated tail showing pale buff barring.
Diet
A ground and low-shrub hunter feeding on large insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars. It also takes small vertebrates including lizards, frogs, small birds, nestlings, and occasionally rodents. Eggs and small snails may be consumed opportunistically.
Preferred Environment
Forages along dense grass, bracken, and scrubby edges, often near forest margins or in overgrown plantations. Frequently hunts on or near the ground, moving stealthily through cover.
