Coua cristata
Silhouette: Nicolas Huet le Jeune and Jean-Gabriel Prêtre (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The crested coua (Coua cristata) is a common medium-sized bird member of the cuckoo family, Cuculidae. It is endemic to Madagascar, mainly found in the coastal regions of the island. The crested coua is a weak flyer, so it will often be observed hopping from branch to branch in high canopies. It is distinguished mainly by its greenish-grey back, its prominent grey head crest, rufous-coloured breast, white abdomen and bright turquoise and blue patches of bare skin around the eyes.
The adult crested coua is a medium-sized bird, averaging between 12 and 17 inches (30 to 44 cm) in length. It has a greenish-gray plumage on the back, a white abdomen, rufous-colored chest and brown eyes. Its long tail is purplish-blue with white tips and its bill and beak are black. Its defining characteristics are its prominent grey head crest and, as goes for all couas, its colourful patches of bare skin around the eyes, which is blue and turquoise in crested couas. In flight, it is recognizable from its short rounded wings and long white-tipped tail.
Furthermore, this bird's third toe is reversible, which helps it have a strong grip when hopping around high branches in the... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berenty Reserve | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 2 | Ankarafantsika National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disney's Animal Kingdom | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | North Carolina Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Walsrode World Bird Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Zoo Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Bronx Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Sedgwick County Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Toledo Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Birmingham Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Moody Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Franklin Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Fort Worth Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Indianapolis Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Oregon Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | Memphis Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 17 | San Antonio Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 18 | Philadelphia Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 19 | Bird Paradise | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 20 | Rainforest Wild Asia | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 21 | Discovery Cove | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 22 | Sacramento Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 23 | St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 24 | Tracy Aviary | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 25 | Central Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 26 | National Aviary | 🇺🇸 United States |
Very likely
About 90% of wildlife watchers report a Crested Coua sighting in Berenty Reserve on a given day, based on 206 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 63 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Between 5 and 8 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Crested Coua sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Crested Coua sightings, Berenty Reserve has the highest daily chance: about 90%. Next come Ankarafantsika National Park (Madagascar, about 70%).
Same genus: Coua
The closest relatives of the Crested Coua that you can see in Berenty Reserve (genus Coua, Couas) are Giant Coua (about 60%), Red-capped Coua (about 20%) and Running Coua (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Crested Coua is recorded against all the birds logged in Berenty Reserve (206 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
