The Crow Pheasant / Greater Coucal: - Transmitter of Auspicious Omens смотреть онлайн

Greater coucal...... Bangalore 7 SEP 2019...

Sighting one of these birds is considered to be lucky and therefore, the bird remains protected in its natural habitat.

The Greater Coucal or Crow Pheasant (Centropus sinensis) is a large non-parasitic member of the cuckoo order of birds.. They are large (50 cm from head to tail), by appearance, it resembles a crow but swaps the black monotone for copper-coloured wings and an underside tinged with purple.. It can also be distinguished by its ruby-red eyes and longer tail.

It’s is a member of the avian cuckoo order. However, it does not share the notorious cuckoo practice of laying its eggs in other birds’ nests. It is a weak flier and omnivorous which can often be found scavenging the ground as they forage for insects, eggs and nestlings of other birds. Sometimes it’s even scene eating snakes and the toxic fruit of the Yellow Oleander.

A series of deep, resonant calls and hymn from my backyard pierce my ears. The pulses of sound are close together and you could almost visualize them emanating from the cranked tin box… Territorial call… which is being displayed in the video… The Matting calls are thuk thuk thuk…. Matting session usually falls in the period between June and September..

Greater Coucals are monogamous. A male courts a potential partner by presenting her with gifts of food. If the female accepts, she lowers her tail and droops her wings.. Was extremely lucky to witness this breeding ecology…

According to folklore.. This bird seems to attract lot of mythological prominence

The Greater Coucal has found a permanent place in Indian mythology, too. It is the bird of good fortune spoken of in the tale of Krishna and Sudaama. In the Mahabharatam, when Kuchela (Sudama) was on his way to meet Krishna, he saw the Greater Coucal (Chakora pakshi). He was a rich man by the time he reached his house after meeting Krishna. Thus this bird is believed to bring good luck, when sited.

Further it’s also believed that this bird uses a special grass or root with magical healing properties to make its nest. Some reference is given to this bird in Ramayana where the sanjivini booti (Selaginella bryopteris) was found in greater coucal’s nest.. Another belief is that the bird is able to identify a very rare root which has the ability to destroy the strongest metals with a mere touch.

There is a famous proverb on it in Kannada -- Naveelu kuniyutte anta kembhoota rekke katkondu kuniyoke aagutta, which translates to ‘if a peacock can dance, is it possible for coucal to stick feathers like peacock and dance?” This proverb is often used to signify one’s limitations.” As told by my friends grand mom