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Phaenicophaeus tristis

Green-billed Malkoha


Phaenicophaeus tristis

(Lesson, RP, 1830)
Malcoha Sombrío

Family: Cuculidae
Order: Cuculiformes
Class: Aves
Phylum / Division: Chordata
Kingdom: Animalia

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Synonyms: Melias tristis.

Subspecies:





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Conservation status according to BirdLife International: Least Concern


Description


The green-billed malkoha (Phaenicophaeus tristis) is a species of non-parasitic cuckoo found throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The birds are waxy bluish black with a long graduated tail with white tips to the tail feathers. The bill is prominent and curved. These birds are found in dry scrub and thin forests.

 Green-billed malkoha is about 50–60 cm long and weighs 100–128 g. It often has a clear white boarder to the red face patch salty grey on the face and neck. Adult green-billed malkoha has dark grey with green gloss above, oily green wings.

Distribution and habitat: Its breeding habitat is primary forest, second growth, dense thickets, scrub, cultivated areas, rubber plantations across south Asia east from Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka to the Southeast Asia.

It mainly lives on insects, but also is known to catch small lizards and small mammals, occasionally catches insects in flight.

Source: Wikipedia, article Phaenicophaeus tristis. Content adapted from Wikipedia, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Accessed on 17/07/2026.





Geographic distribution


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Species photographs

Count: 2

Foto
Photography ID: 228083
  Adult

Ao nang
Krabi
Thailand
10/30/2017
Gerardo Alberto García
Foto
Photography ID: 221962
  Adult

Ao nang
Krabi
Thailand
04/08/2017
Federico Galfione


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Species reports



 Detail of places sorted by number of records






Species records

Count: 3



Page 1 of 1
Record IDDateExact timeCountryProvince / departmentPlaceFilmedPhotographedRecorded vocalObservedHeardWounded or deadNumber of individualsUser or BibliographyDetail
175569613/07/2018ThailandMae Hong SonUmphang Wildlife SanctuaryGerardo Lloret
64066230/10/2017ThailandKrabiAo nangGerardo Alberto García
62336808/04/2017ThailandKrabiAo nangFederico Galfione
Page 1 of 1

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Recommended citation
Please use the following reference when citing this species account.
EcoRegistros. 2026. Green-billed Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus tristis) – Species account. Accessed from www.ecoregistros.org on 15/09/2026.