The first you see of a Greater Coucal is usually a chaotic thrashing of a brilliant red and blue bundle of feathers as it makes a frantic dash for concealment in the undergrowth or dense foliage of a small tree. It is an excessively human-shy, solitary bird. It forages on the ground, like a yard chicken, and does not look comfortable when flying. Its larger than a common crow, has a very long tail, talon-like feet, and a beak that is a little like that of a raptor.
