The Coucal’s Nest

The Coucal’s Nest
Krishna Prasad V K

The Greater Coucal, also known as the Crow Pheasant is a pigeon sized tropical bird native to India and South East Asia. It has a black body with copper red wings. Its eyes are ruby red in colour. Its muffled cry is familiar to all Malayalees. It is variously known as Uppan, Chempothu and Chakoram in Malayalam. It is highly secretive by nature, generally moving around and nesting among short shrubs. It is a carnivorous bird feeding mainly on insects and caterpillars. Due to its aloofness and appearance, old timers have attributed it with various mystical qualities. For instance it is believed to bring good luck if one hears or sees a Coucal when setting out on a journey.
Above all this bird has this curious habit of gathering and stashing away shiny objects in its nest. People have reportedly recovered gold and precious stones from their nests.