Bangladesh, Bhutan (B), Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China (mainland), India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines (B), Singapore (B), Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam.
India to South East Asia, Indonesia and Philippines and South and South East China.
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2020) and stable.
Voice
Various 'hoop' and 'tok' sounds, and harsh 'skaah'. Song comprises a series of hooting 'boop boop boop' notes falling in pitch but increasing in speed.
Greater Coucal (Centropus sinensis) [XC35673]
by Conrad Pinto from Cat Tien National Park, Cochinchina, Vietnam (song)
Greater Coucal (Centropus sinensis) [XC770519]
by Greg Irving from Datong Village, Meilan District, Haikou, Hainan, China (song)
Subspecies
Forms a superspecies with Andaman Coucal (Centropus andamanensis), and are sometimes treated as conspecific. Birds from Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo and Palawan are sometimes placed together in a separate subspecies eurycercus. Subspecies anonymus sometimes misspelt "anonymous".
The following 6 subspecies are recognised:
sinensis (Stephens, 1815) - Pakistan (Sind, Punjab) and Kashmir through northern India (Himalayas and Gangetic Plain) to Bengal, Sikkim and northern Assam and foothills in Bhutan, and on to southern China (Guanxi, Zhejiang, Fujian).
parroti Stresemann, 1913 - Peninsular India and Sri Lanka.
intermedius (Hume, 1873) - Bangladesh and southern Assam east through Myanmar to south-central China (southern Yunnan and Hainan), and south to Thailand, Indochina and Peninsular Malaysia.
bubutus Horsfield, 1821 - Sumatra, Nias and Mentawai Is to Borneo and western Philippines (Balabac, Cagayan Sulu, Palawan), and south to Java and Bali.
anonymus Stresemann, 1913 - South-western Philippines (Basilan, Sulu Is).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet