The Indian Subcontinent provides suitable habitats to various species of birds for residing and reproducing. Cochoas are no exception in this regard. Green Cochoa and Purple Cochoa are the two cochoas which have been recorded in India. They belong to the kingdom, Animalia; phylum, Chordata; class, Aves; order, Passeriformes; and genus, Cochoa. These cochoas are described below.
Green Cochoa
Green Cochoa has mostly been noted east of northwest Bengal. More specifically, this bird can be noted in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. As the name of the bird suggests, the dominant color on the bird"s body is moss green. Male and female birds differ in terms of physical features. Apart from the green color on the body, the male cochoa has blue-colored crown, wings and tail. There is a broad black band present on the tail of the bird. Its female counterpart has a more greenish body and the secondaries and tertiaries have the base of the outer webs yellowish brown with very narrow blue edging. Also, there are some rusty spots on the wing coverts of the bird. Some plumages also involve a white collar on the sides of the neck. This bird depends on mollusks, insects and berries for survival. This bird breeds in summer.
Purple Cochoa
Purple Cochoa has been traced along the Himalayas with the western limit about 100 km west of Musoorie in India. More specifically, this bird can be noted in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. Male and female birds differ in terms of physical features. The male bird has grayish body. Its secondaries and coverts are dull purplish grey in appearance. Rufous color on the body of Purple Cochoa helps to identify it as a female. Purple Cochoa is a bird with silvery blue crown and tail, black mask which runs over the eye and black wing feathers. Other features of the bird are a grey carpal patch at the base of the wing feathers and a black terminal band on the tail. This bird depends on berries, insects and mollusks for survival. The breeding months of this bird ranges from May to July.
