Bird watching in Thailand: The great caterpillar (Coracina macei)

The large caterpillar (Coracina macei) is a bird in the family of caterpillars. It is a bird that can be found in large parts of the Indian Subcontinent, southern China and Southeast Asia. The species belongs to a species complex of which the Javan caterpillar and the pelengrusvogel have been split off.

The large caterpillar is on average 30 cm long. The male is mainly gray and in the "face" darker, almost black. The breast is lighter gray and gradually becomes pale white towards the undertail coverts. The female is less black on the head and the belly is often slightly striated. Immature birds are even more striated on both chest and belly.

The bird mostly eats insects, but also feed on figs and forest fruits and usually fly in small groups just above the canopy.

The large caterpillar breeds in the dry winter months. The nest is a shallow and saucer-shaped nest placed in the fork of a horizontal branch at some height above the ground. The bird lays three eggs.