About:
Did you know the crested coua looks like it is wearing eye make-up with its eyes outlined in black and bright turquoise behind the eye? Learn more about the crested coua.
Care & Wellness:
To encourage natural foraging behavior, keepers scatter crickets and mealworms in various places in the Desert. An example of a bird that spends part of its day foraging for them is the crested coua.
Mimicking their natural habitats has allowed birds to exhibit natural behaviors like courtship, successful breeding, and raising of young. LISTEN for their calls and LOOK for nests and courtship behaviors on your visit to the Desert.
Behavior:
- Crested coua are secretive and found alone or in pairs.
- Outside breeding season they form small groups of three to five individuals.
- Birds can join mixed-species flocks.
Endangered Status
- Extinct in Wild (EW)
- Critically Endangered (CR)
- Endangered (EN)
- Vulnerable (VU)
- Near Threatened (NT)
- Least Concern (LC)
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Fun Facts:
- The crested coua is found only in Madagascar.
- This beautiful bird has a lilac colored eye outlined in black with bright turquoise behind the eye.
- Their color is a greenish-grey underparts and grey head with a conspicuous pointed crest.
- The tail is long and bluish with graduated white tips. The Crested Coua can be found in the North Carolina Zoo's Desert.
