Bornean Ground-Cuckoo Carpococcyx radiceus Scientific name definitions

60 cm. Adult with head purple-glossed black, neck sides grey, mantle and back dull green with purple gloss with coppery-red reflections, lower back and rump rufous with faint dark bars, wings and tail unbarred coppery-violet; chin and throat black, rest of underparts barred white and black; bare skin around eye green, iris brown or grey, bill green, tarsi green. Juvenile like adult, but crown greenish brown, and unbarred uniform pale rufous below, some with grey throat.

Borneo.

Forest, particularly lowland and hill forest in Brunei, primary forest on limestone soils in Sabah, alluvial and swamp forest in East Kalimantan (1 Fredriksson, G.M. and Nijman, V. (2004). Habitat use and conservation status of two elusive ground birds (Carpococcyx radiatus and Polyplectron schleiermacheri) in the Sungai Wain Protection Forest, East Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo. Oryx. 38(3): 297–303. Close ). Terrestrial, but nests and roosts in trees. At 300–1700 m.

Resident.

Mainly insects, including beetles and giant ants; also takes fruit. Lives on the ground, where runs and jumps; sometimes follows army-ant swarms.

A cough, “heh heh heh”; loud 2-note call, “tock-tor”, first note rising and second falling, dove-like or barbet-like in quality; also loud 2-note “koohoo” like that of Eudynamys scolopaceus.

Nest undescribed, in trees. Eggs white, 47 x 35 mm.

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near Threatened, and previously, Vulnerable. Rare and patchy in distribution, though it is widespread throughout Borneo, albeit with very few recent records. Vulnerable to continuing degradation and loss of forest through human activity. Research required.