what is coucal
any of several Old World cuckoos of the genus Centropus, having harsh-textured plumage and a long, daggerlike hind claw. The coucal or crow-pheasant, for example, is divided up into three local races. The nest of the crow-pheasant or coucal is a massive structure, globular in shape, with the entrance at one side. But the sight of an insect on the lawn causes the coucal to throw dignity to the winds.