National bird: Greater coucal

தமிழ். Norsk. English.

Greater coucal or crow pheasant is called shenbagam (ceṇpakam – செண்பகம்) in Tamil and orientsporegjøk in Norwegian. Both Shenbagam and its subspecies live in India and Southeast Asia. They are slightly larger than crows and have long tails and brown wings. They jump around in the vegetation around Tamil Eelam. Greater coucal’s slow passages and bases are small trees. Its scientific name is Centropus sinesis.

Facts about the bird

Greater coucal eats snails, insects, leeches, frogs, snakes and lizards. As well as eggs and the young of other birds. Their hunting seasons last from February to September. It lays about 3 to 4 eggs and incubates them.
The bird is not found in Norway – with the exception of a stuffed specimen in the Norwegian Natural History Museum’s study collection.

Tamil Eelam

The Greater coucal has a low flight ability and is among the birds that remain where they belong naturally. Whereas birds with high flying ability migrate long and short distances to survive weather changes. Quail (காடை – kāṭai) and grey francolin (கௌதாரி – kautāri) which are other birds with low flight ability in Sri Lanka are found in other parts of the world. On the basis of a bird with low flying ability that is unique in the Tamil area of Sri Lanka and inherits a national characteristic and home-grown lifestyle, the greater coucal was declared as the national bird of Tamil Eelam (North-East Sri Lanka) around 2005. The national bird in many countries has a low flight ability. Peacock is the national bird of India. Junglefowl is the national bird of Sri Lanka. Dipper (fossekall) is the national bird of Norway.

Other national symbols of Tamil Eelam

National flower: kāntaḷ (காந்தள்), kārttikaippū (கார்த்திகைப்பூ) – gloriosa lily
National tree: vākai (வாகை) – albizia lebbeck
National bird: ceṇpakam (செண்பகம்) – Oriental Spur Cuckoo
National animal: ciṟuttai (சிறுத்தை) – leopard

Poster in Norwegian

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Sources:

Tamil Youth Organisation Norway Instagram
Wikipedia
சஞ்சிகை: “எரிமலை”. டிசம்பர் 2005. பிரான்சு: 38

Original text by Mathushiya Pirabaharan and Sambavi Vethanathan (2021)

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