My first endemic bird in the Andamans was the Andaman Coucal! On our very first day, as soon as we reached the hotel, we thought we’d go looking for it the next morning — but suddenly from the car window, I spotted one perched on a tree!

It quickly hopped to the next tree and disappeared into the canopy 🌿. We stopped the car, hoping to get a better photograph, but it never came out of the foliage. Still, I managed a few headshots.

Andaman Coucal Head shot

Second Day Rendezvous 📸

The next morning, we started early for Chidiya Tapu for birding. On the way, we stopped for tea and breakfast ☕🍳. I was chatting with my guide, Arun Singh Ji, about the coucal and other birds when, just 10 minutes later, we saw it again — in the funniest of places!

This time, it was sitting on top of a chicken shop, looking for food 😂🐔. I had to shoot from inside the car, so the quality isn’t perfect, but at least I got a full-body shot this time — not just a headshot! (That image’s already at the start of the blog.)

Fun Facts About the Andaman Coucal 📚

  • It was once considered a subspecies of the Greater Coucal (Centropus sinensis).
  • Unlike other coucals in India that have completely black heads, the Andaman Coucal has a pale head, making it stand out beautifully! 😍