green-billed malkoha
绿嘴地鹃 (lǜzuǐ dìjuān)
Phaenicophaeus tristis
50 cm
The only malkoha in China, with mainly Southeast Asian range extending into southernmost provinces of China. On Hainan and Leizhou Peninsula of Guangdong, hainanus is resident; in southern Guangxi and southern Yunnan, saliens is resident. Large, long-tailed cuckoo. Non-parasitic. Favors dense primary and secondary forests. Grey body; head, throat, and upper breast paler, with faint black streaks mostly on crown and throat, darkest on belly; wings and tail dark glossy green, with broad white tips to tail feathers. Red facial skin forms mask surrounding eye. Mask bordered by thin black and white lines, and black lores. Bill greenish-yellow. Feet grey. Juvenile browner with darker bill. Mostly chuckling calls, but also harsh croaking and some softer sounds. — Craig Brelsford
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Daniel Bengtsson served as chief ornithological consultant for Craig Brelsford’s Photographic Field Guide to the Birds of China, from which this species description is drawn.
