Green-billed malkoha facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Green-billed malkoha
in Nepal
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Phaenicophaeus
Species:	tristis
Synonyms
Rhopodytes tristis

The green-billed malkoha (scientific name: Phaenicophaeus tristis) is a cool type of cuckoo bird. Unlike some other cuckoos, it doesn't lay its eggs in other birds' nests. You can find these birds across the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia.

They are a waxy bluish-black color. They have a long tail that gets shorter towards the end, with white tips on the feathers. Their bill (beak) is big and curved. Green-billed malkohas like to live in dry bushes and thin forests.

What Does It Look Like?

The green-billed malkoha is a medium-sized bird. It grows to be about 50 to 60 centimeters (about 20 to 24 inches) long. It weighs between 100 and 128 grams. That's about as much as a small apple!

Adult malkohas are mostly dark grey. They have a shiny green look on their upper body and wings. Their face and neck are a salty grey color. They often have a clear white edge around a red patch on their face.

Where Do They Live and What Do They Eat?

Green-billed malkohas live in many places across south Asia. You can find them from Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka all the way to Southeast Asia. They make their homes in different areas. These include thick forests, new growing forests, and dense bushes. They also live in farm areas and rubber tree farms.

These birds mostly eat insects. But they are also known to catch small lizards. Sometimes, they even catch tiny mammals! They can even catch insects while flying, just like a flycatcher bird.

Gallery

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  Large green-billed malkoha

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  Green-billed malkoha in Bangladesh

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  at Jayanti in Buxa Tiger Reserve in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, India

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  Kaeng Krachan Nat’l Park - Thailand

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  Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.