Aspects of the Breeding Biology of the Pheasant Coucal Centropus phasianinus

Summary

Observations are presented of the breeding biology of the Pheasant Coucal Centropus phasianinus at Townsville, north Queensland. Nests were dome-shaped structures, lined with eucalypt leaves and twigs, built close to the ground in grass clumps. Twelve of the 13 nests were associated with the introduced Chinee Apple Zizyphus mauritiana. Nesting occurred early in the wet season and four broods were followed during development. Hatching was asynchronous, spread over up to six days. Nestlings fledged asynchronously and the mean nestling period of 12.6 days (range 10–15 days) was appropriate to a much smaller species. At fledging, young had attained only 40% of adult male weight, with wing 32% and tarsus 90% of adult measurement; they thus fledged well before they were fully grown, after a short nestling period. All four nests succeeded in fledging at least one young and it is suggested that fledging early in development is an adaptation that reduces nest predation.