Cacomantis

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Cacomantis is a genus of cuckoos in the family Cuculidae. The name is from the Ancient Greek κακομαντις (kakomantis) meaning "prophet of evil". Most species have a round nostril and are mainly in brown and gray colours. The tails are graduated and barred. The bars are transverse in sonneratii and oblique in all others.[1]

Taxonomy

The genus Cacomantis was introduced in 1843 by the German naturalist Salomon Müller.[2] He did not specify a type species; this was subsequently designated as Cuculus flavus Gmelin, a junior synonym of Cuculus merulinus Scopoli (the plaintive cuckoo).[3][4] The genus name is from the Ancient Greek kakomantis meaning "prophet of doom".[5] Müller explained that local people on the Maluku Islands thought of these species as "birds of misfortune" due to their mournful calls and their frequent presence in cemeteries.[2]

Species

The genus contains 11 species:[6]

The pallid cuckoo (Heteroscenes pallidus) and the white-crowned cuckoo (Caliechthrus leucolophus) were formerly placed in this genus. They are now each placed in their own monotypic genus.[6]

References

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  1. Payne, RB (2005). The Cuckoos. Oxford University Press. p. 422
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