Coquerel's coua (Coua coquereli) is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It was named in 1867 by the French naturalist Alfred Grandidier in honor of the French navy surgeon and naturalist Charles Coquerel. Coquerel's coua is approximately 40 cm (16 in) in length and has a large blue patch of bare skin around the eye, a characteristic of the Coua genus that is similar to African turacos. The plumage is silky, the crown is black, the upper parts and tail are light brown or greyish-brown, and the lower breast and belly is suffused with red. The iris is red and the beak and legs are slaty grey. As a member of the cuckoo family, it has a reversible third toe and resembles the coucal in its method of scrambling through tangled bushes and lianas while searching for food. Observations indicate that it can climb about 10 m (30 ft) above the ground.
The Coquerel's coua species was named after who?
The Coquerel's coua species was named after the French navy surgeon and naturalist Charles Coquerel.