The violaceous coucal or violet coucal is a cuckoo species in the family Cuculidae. It is endemic to the Bismarck Archipelago. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
Region
Melanesia
Typical Environment
Endemic to the Bismarck Archipelago, chiefly on New Britain and New Ireland. It inhabits subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests, including primary and well-structured secondary growth. The species keeps to dense understory, forest edges, riverine thickets, and overgrown clearings. It tolerates some selective logging but declines where forests are heavily degraded or fragmented. Usually remains close to the ground or in low to mid-level tangles.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the violet coucal, this non-parasitic cuckoo builds its own nest and raises its young—unlike many other cuckoos. It skulks through dense lowland forest and is more often heard than seen, giving deep, resonant booms and duets. Its glossy violet-black sheen and long graduated tail are distinctive in the dim rainforest understory.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides
Social Behavior
Usually found singly or in pairs that hold territories year-round. Builds a bulky, domed nest hidden in dense vegetation. Both sexes participate in nesting duties and feed the chicks. More often heard than seen, moving stealthily through thick cover.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives deep, resonant booming notes and mellow hoots, often in a slow, repetitive series. Pairs may duet with antiphonal phrases that carry far through forest understory.
Plumage
Glossy violet-black body with a purplish sheen and contrasting darker chestnut wings; long, graduated tail with iridescent tones.
Diet
Takes large insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, and mantises, along with spiders and other arthropods. Also preys on small vertebrates including lizards, frogs, and occasionally small birds or nestlings. Will opportunistically consume berries and other soft fruits.
Preferred Environment
Forages on or near the ground in dense understory, vine tangles, and bamboo thickets. Often searches along forest edges, overgrown clearings, and river margins where cover is abundant.
