In breeding plumage, the Madagascar Coucal is black with rufous-chestnut on the lower back and wings. It occurs on Madagascar and Aldabra.
In breeding plumage it has a glossy black tail, red eye, black bill, and rufous-chestnut lower back and wings. Non-breeding plumage is streaked buff above.
It forages on the ground and in thick scrub for invertebrates, large insects, spiders, lizards, small mammals, and eggs.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.