The Dwarf Koel occurs on New Guinea and nearby islands. About 20–22 cm long, it searches for fruit in the forest canopy and is seen alone or in pairs.
It is about 20–22 cm long. Males have brown upperparts, a glossy black crown, a white stripe below the eye, and red eyes; females are greyer brown with a grey throat.
It is active by day in monsoon forest, forest edges, secondary forest, and gallery forest. It is thought to feed mainly on fruit in the canopy.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.