Greater Coucal (Stephens, 1815) is a beautiful terrestrial bird, and although it resembles pheasants, it belongs to Cuculidae family, but it is not a brood parasite. It is also known as Crow Pheasant or Coucal. The Greater Coucals or the Crow Pheasants (Centropus sinensis) are non-parasitic cuckoos (unlike other cuckoos, they raise their own chicks).

It is a large species of cuckoo of 48 cm size. Adult has glossy black-purple head and body. Wings are bright chestnut on upperwing, and black on underwing. Long graduated tail is glossy dark green. Contrast between chestnut and black is very conspicuous in adults. Strong, heavy bill is blackish. Eyes are deep red. Legs and feet are dark grey. Both sexes are similar. They are weak fliers, and are often seen clambering about in vegetation or walking on the ground as they forage for insects, eggs and nestlings of other bird. Greater Coucal is resident in southern Asia, from India east to south China and Indonesia. Their habitats cover wide range from jungle to cultivation and urban gardens. Greater Coucal lives in grassland and second growth, at forest edges, near cultivated areas and water. It is also found in mangroves, scrubs, marshes, reed beds and gardens.The greater coucal is a large bird which takes a wide range of insects, caterpillars and small vertebrates such as the Saw-scaled vipers. The breeding season is after the monsoon in southern India but varies in other parts of its range but chiefly June to September. Greater coucals are monogamous, and the courtship display involves chases on the ground. The nest is a deep cup with a dome in dense vegetation inside tangles of creepers, bamboo clump. They can be built as high as 6m above the ground and the typical clutch is 3-5 eggs.

The bird is associated with many superstitions and beliefs. The deep calls are associated with spirits and omens. Greater Coucal's song is often uttered in duet with other Coucal. It is a deep "coop-coop-coop-coop-coop", low-pitched. The calls are a booming low coop-coop-coops repeated and with variations and some duets between individuals. It gives this sound in particular posture, with buttressed body, and with head and neck convulsed downwards. This attitude favours sound propagation over long distances, with ground used as reflector. When duetting the female has a lower pitched call. Other calls include a rapid rattling "lotok, lotok ..." and a harsh scolding "skeeaaaw" and a hissing threat call.