Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis Scientific name definitions
Text last updated August 29, 2018
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Species names in all available languages
Language | Common name |
---|---|
Assamese | ডাবহী কুকুহা |
Catalan | cucal gros |
Chinese | 褐翅鴉鵑 |
Chinese (Hong Kong SAR China) | 褐翅鴉鵑 |
Chinese (SIM) | 褐翅鸦鹃 |
Czech | kukačka vraní |
Dutch | Chinese Spoorkoekoek |
English | Greater Coucal |
English (United States) | Greater Coucal |
French | Grand Coucal |
French (France) | Grand Coucal |
German | Heckenkuckuck |
Gujarati | ઘૂંકિયો |
Hindi | भारद्वाज |
Icelandic | Krákugaukur |
Indonesian | Bubut besar |
Japanese | オオバンケン |
Kannada | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಕೆಂಬೂತ |
Korean | 큰뻐꾸기사촌 |
Malayalam | ഉപ്പൻ |
Marathi | भारद्वाज |
Norwegian | orientsporegjøk |
Odia | କୁମ୍ଭାଟୁଆ |
Polish | kukal zmienny |
Punjabi (India) | ਕਮਾਦੀ ਕੁੱਕੜ |
Russian | Большой кукаль |
Serbian | Vranoliki kukal |
Slovak | ostrohár krovinový |
Spanish | Cucal Chino |
Spanish (Spain) | Cucal chino |
Swedish | större sporrgök |
Telugu | జముడు కాకి |
Thai | นกกระปูดใหญ่ |
Turkish | Büyük Kukal |
Ukrainian | Коукал рудокрилий |
Centropus sinensis (Stephens, 1815)
Definitions
- CENTROPUS
- sinense / sinensis
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Field Identification
47–56 cm; male 208–270 g, female 275–380 g. Adult sinensis black, glossed blue to purplish, back and wings chestnut, long and broad black tail , black wing-linings; iris brown to red, bill black, feet black. Female slightly larger. Juvenile barred buff on head, wings black-barred rufous-brown, tail narrowly barred buff, underparts dark brown, barred dull white, with yellowish shaft streaks, iris grey to brown. Race <em>intermedius</em> smaller; <em>parroti</em> black-backed; <em>bubutus</em> larger, wings paler rufous; <em>anonymus</em> shorter-winged, wings darker brown; kangeanensis with head and body pale buff, tail grey (also a dark morph with throat grey, breast mottled grey).
Systematics History
Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.
Analysis of mtDNA suggests that this species is closest to C. nigrorufus (1), the two being sister-taxa (2). Has sometimes been treated as conspecific with C. andamanensis. Kangean Is race often spelt kangeanensis, but correct original spelling is kangeangensis; race anonymus sometimes misspelt as anonymous. Birds from Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo and Palawan sometimes placed together in a separate subspecies, eurycercus. Some authors (3) have suggested that race parroti be awarded species status on account of voice and distinctive juvenile plumages (indicating that the difference between sinensis and parroti is not in mantle colour as illustrated in HBW); same authors note also that voice of bubutus is very distinctive. All taxa, however, are here retained in C. sinensis until further research sheds light on vocal differences, although kangeangensis is notable for having all black in plumage replaced by pale buff-brown (in two different morphs). Six subspecies recognized.Subspecies
Greater Coucal (Greater) Centropus sinensis [sinensis Group]
Distribution
Centropus sinensis sinensis (Stephens, 1815)
Definitions
- CENTROPUS
- sinense / sinensis
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Centropus sinensis intermedius (Hume, 1873)
Definitions
- CENTROPUS
- sinense / sinensis
- intermedea / intermedia / intermedianus / intermedium / intermedius
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Centropus sinensis bubutus Horsfield, 1821
Definitions
- CENTROPUS
- sinense / sinensis
- bubutus
- Bubutus
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Centropus sinensis anonymus Stresemann, 1913
Definitions
- CENTROPUS
- sinense / sinensis
- anonyma / anonymous / anonymus
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Centropus sinensis kangeangensis Vorderman, 1893
Definitions
- CENTROPUS
- sinense / sinensis
- kangeana / kangeanensis / kangeangensis / kangkeangensis / kangeanus
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Greater Coucal (Southern) Centropus sinensis parroti Scientific name definitions
Distribution
Centropus sinensis parroti Stresemann, 1913
Definitions
- CENTROPUS
- sinense / sinensis
- parroti
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.
Habitat
Secondary forest , tall grassland, thickets, bamboo, scrub near cultivation, paddyfields, cover near streams and swamps, mangroves, gardens; widespread, except in dense primary forest. Lowlands, in hills to 1200 m, occasionally to 2100 m.
Movement
Resident. Occasionally disperses; one heard once on Serfung, Krakatau, in 1919, years after volcanic activity exterminated all landbirds. Flight slow and laboured, alternates flaps and glides.
Diet and Foraging
Small mammals (mice, hedgehog), lizards, snakes, frogs; insects (caterpillars, grasshoppers, katydids, beetles, larvae of rhinoceros beetles); also centipedes, scorpions, spiders, crabs, snails, slugs, eggs and nestlings of small birds, fruits and seeds. Terrestrial and skulking, stalks, walks, hops and runs in pursuit of prey; creeps through shrubs and robs birds' nests; prowls on mud banks of rivers near water's edge.
Sounds and Vocal Behavior
Song a series of deep “hoop” notes, full song running down and up the scale, followed by more “hoop” notes; a “tok”, also a harsh scold, “skaaah”.
Breeding
Breeds in rains: mainly Jun–Sept in N India, practically all year in Peninsular India and Sri Lanka (peak Mar–Apr, Sri Lanka), from Apr in Myanmar, nests with eggs Jan–May in Peninsular Malaysia. Monogamous, occurs in pairs. Nest a large globular ball of twigs and leaves, or coarse grass, with lateral entrance, concealed in thick bush or low in thorny tree or in rice fields. Eggs 2–4 (India), 2–3 (Sri Lanka), two (Malaysia), chalky white, stained by nest dirt; 36 mm × 28 mm (India), 34 mm × 29 mm (Sri Lanka), 38 mm × 30 mm (Java), 29 mm × 24 mm (N Borneo). Both sexes raise the young.
Conservation Status
Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Common almost everywhere throughout its expansive range, and very common in some areas, notably in much of India and Thailand. On Borneo, nestling coucals are taken by man for purported medicinal purposes.