Malkoha
Malkohas are large birds 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 Asian tropical species. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek phoiniko- crimson, and phaes "eyes" or "face",[1] referring to the red-faced malkoha. However, the 'œ' was mistranscribed as 'æ'.[2]
| Malkohas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chestnut-bellied malkoha (Phaenicophaeus sumatranus) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Cuculiformes |
| Family: | Cuculidae |
| Genus: | Phaenicophaeus Stephens, 1815 |
Species
Species in taxonomic order are:
| Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phaenicophaeus diardi | Black-bellied malkoha | Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand. | |
_-Singapore-6.jpg.webp) | Phaenicophaeus sumatranus | Chestnut-bellied malkoha | Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand. |
 | Phaenicophaeus viridirostris | Blue-faced malkoha | peninsular India and Sri Lanka. |
.jpg.webp) | Phaenicophaeus tristis | Green-billed malkoha | Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia |
 | Phaenicophaeus calyorhynchus | Yellow-billed malkoha | Sulawesi, Indonesia |
 | Phaenicophaeus curvirostris | Chestnut-breasted malkoha | Southeast Asia from Myanmar through to eastern Java, the Philippines and Borneo |
 | Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus | Red-faced malkoha | Sri Lanka |
 | Phaenicophaeus superciliosus | Rough-crested malkoha or red-crested malkoha | northern Philippines |
 | Phaenicophaeus cumingi | Scale-feathered malkoha | northern Philippines. |
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.
The green malkoha or yellowbill seems also distinct from the typical malkohas; it is placed in the monotypic genus Ceuthmochares.
References
- Liddell, Henry George and Robert Scott (1980). A Greek-English Lexicon (Abridged Edition). United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-910207-4.
- Payne RB, Sorenson MD (2005). The Cuckoos: Cuculidae. Oxford University Press. p. 294. ISBN 0-19-850213-3.
Media related to Phaenicophaeus at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Phaenicophaeus at Wikispecies