Tag Archives: Coua cristata

Coua cristata ssp. maxima Milon

Large Crested Coua (Coua cristata ssp. maxima)  

The Crested Coua (Coua cristata (L.)) is one of the about 11 species of its genus that are endemic to the island of Madagascar. It reaches a size of about 40 cm and is split into three subspecies, of which one appears to be extinct.  

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The Large Crested Coua was described in 1950 based on a single specimen that was collected near the city of Tôlanaro (formerly Fort Dauphin) in the Toliara Province, southeast Madagascar.  

The subspecies differed from the other two by its much larger size.  

This somewhat enigmatic form was never seen again and is considered extinct.  

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References:  

[1] Pete Morris, Frank Hawkins: Birds of Madagascar, A Photographic Guide. Bloomsbury Specialist 1998  

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Crested Coua (Coua cristata ssp. cristata); nominate race  

Depiction from: ‘Alfred Grandidier: Histoire Physique, Naturelle et Politique de Madagascar. Paris: à l’Imprimerie Nationale 1836-1921’  

(public domain)

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edited: 06.11.2017