One preserved dead Greater Coucal (ππ¦π―π΅π³π°π±πΆπ΄ π΄πͺπ―π¦π―π΄πͺπ΄) was turned over by Mr. William James Hunter of WESCOM Road, Barangay San Miguel, Puerto Princesa City to the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff (PCSDS) on September 7, 2021.
Mr. Hunter, a naturalist artist, and painter found the bird on August 7, 2020, around 5:00 PM, along the road adjacent to Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm, next to the Iwahig River. He explained that he had just come from the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center (PWRCC) to deliver a bow and arrow when he noticed the lifeless bird. He added that the bird might have splattered across the windshields of vehicles moving along the highway and died instantly in the process.
Learning taxidermy from his grandfather back when he was young, he decided to skin the bird and preserved it later. He even reached out to the National Museum to turn over the preserved dead bird but because of too much paperwork, it did not materialize.
On the advice of Ms. Indira Dayang Lacerna-Widmann of the Katala Foundation Inc., he went to PCSDS to hand over the preserved dead bird after one year. It was his first wildlife turnover with the PCSDS.
The Greater Coucal is listed as least concern by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The PCSDS urges persons who happen to find or rescue wildlife to turn them over to our office, which can be contacted thru hotline numbers 0935-116-2336 (Globe/TM) and 0948-937-2200 (Smart/TNT). You may also send a message to our Facebook page for your other concerns.
