Phaenicophaeus
Encyclopedia
Malkohas are large bird
s in the cuckoo family Cuculidae, all in the genus
Phaenicophaeus. The group name is derived from the Sinhala word for the Red-faced Malkoha
; Mal-Koha meaning flower-cuckoo. These are all Asia
n tropical species. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek
phoiniko- "crimson", and phaes "eyes" or "face", referring to the Red-faced Malkoha. However, the 'œ' was mistranscribed as 'æ'.
Species in taxonomic order are:
Raffles's Malkoha
("P." chlorophaeus) is a highly distinct species and may not even be as closely related to malkohas as long believed. Its placement in a monotypic
genus Rhinortha is supported by a morphological, molecular and behavioral evidence.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s in the cuckoo family Cuculidae, all in the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Phaenicophaeus. The group name is derived from the Sinhala word for the Red-faced Malkoha
Red-faced Malkoha
The Red-faced Malkoha, Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus, is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes. This Malkoha species is endemic to Sri Lanka-Description:...
; Mal-Koha meaning flower-cuckoo. These are all Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n tropical species. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
phoiniko- "crimson", and phaes "eyes" or "face", referring to the Red-faced Malkoha. However, the 'œ' was mistranscribed as 'æ'.
Species in taxonomic order are:
- Black-bellied MalkohaBlack-bellied MalkohaThe Black-bellied Malkoha is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family.It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand....
, Phaenicophaeus diardi - Chestnut-bellied MalkohaChestnut-bellied MalkohaThe Chestnut-bellied Malkoha is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family.It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand....
, Phaenicophaeus sumatranus - Blue-faced MalkohaBlue-faced MalkohaThe Blue-faced Malkoha, Phaenicophaeus viridirostris , is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, which also includes the roadrunners, the anis, and the Hoatzin....
, Phaenicophaeus viridirostris - Green-billed MalkohaGreen-billed MalkohaThe Green-billed Malkoha Phaenicophaeus tristis is a species of non-parasitic cuckoo found in peninsular India. The birds are waxy bluish black with a long graduated tail with white tips to the tail feathers. The bill is prominent and curved...
, Phaenicophaeus tristis - Sirkeer MalkohaSirkeer MalkohaThe Sirkeer Malkoha or Sirkeer Cuckoo , is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, which also includes the roadrunners, the anis, and the Hoatzin. It is a resident bird in the Indian subcontinent....
, Phaenicophaeus leschenaultii - Red-billed MalkohaRed-billed MalkohaThe Red-billed Malkoha is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family. It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.-References:...
, Phaenicophaeus javanicus - Yellow-billed MalkohaYellow-billed MalkohaThe Yellow-billed Malkoha is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family. It is endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
, Phaenicophaeus calyorhynchus - Chestnut-breasted MalkohaChestnut-breasted MalkohaThe Chestnut-breasted Malkoha is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family. Found in Southeast Asia from Myanmar through to eastern Java, the Philippines and Borneo, it is a large cuckoo measuring up to 49 cm with grey and dark green upperparts and chestnut underparts, and a large curved pale...
, Phaenicophaeus curvirostris - Red-faced MalkohaRed-faced MalkohaThe Red-faced Malkoha, Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus, is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes. This Malkoha species is endemic to Sri Lanka-Description:...
, Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus - Rough-crested Malkoha or Red-crested Malkoha, Phaenicophaeus superciliosus
- Scale-feathered MalkohaScale-feathered MalkohaThe Scale-feathered Malkoha is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family.It is endemic to the Philippines.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 24 July 2007....
, Phaenicophaeus cumingi
Raffles's Malkoha
Raffles's Malkoha
Raffles's Malkoha is a species of cuckoo . It was formerly often placed in Phaenicophaeus with the other malkohas, but it is a rather distinct species, with several autapomorphies and sexual dimorphism .It might not even be very closely related to the true malkohas, but form a very basal lineage of...
("P." chlorophaeus) is a highly distinct species and may not even be as closely related to malkohas as long believed. Its placement in a monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus Rhinortha is supported by a morphological, molecular and behavioral evidence.