Bornean Ground-Cuckoo
Carpococcyx radiceus
Secretive pheasant-like cuckoo that is more often heard than seen; listen for its dove-like “coo-KOO” song and odd sneeze-like call. Beautiful if seen well: iridescent purple-green wings, long dark tail, finely barred underparts, black head, and pale blue-green face and bill. Forages on the ground, often following ant swarms or Bornean bearded pigs as they flush out potential prey. Favors pristine lowland rainforests, particularly in riverine or swampy areas.
Identification
The Bornean ground cuckoo (Carpococcyx radiceus) is a large, terrestrial species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. As suggested by its common name, it is endemic to the island of Borneo, being found in the sections belonging to Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It is restricted to humid forest. It is threatened by habitat loss. It was formerly considered conspecific with the Sumatran ground cuckoo.
Taxonomy
The Bornean ground cuckoo was described as Calobates radiceus by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1832 based on a female specimen from Pontianak district in Borneo. In 1840, George Robert Gray established it as the type species of a new genus, Carpococcyx, because Calobates was similar to the fly genus Calobata. Additionally, it is also a junior homonym of the genus Calobates, established by the German naturalist Johann Jacob Kaup in 1829. The specific name, radiceus, is either from the Neo-Latin radius (rod or staff) or radicis (foundation). It is thought to be an error for radiatus or radiosus, with Temminck himself referring to the species by those names in other writings, but the original description does not provide enough evidence to emend the name. Nevertheless, some authorities use radiatus as the specific epithet.
- Scientific name
- Carpococcyx radiceus
- Authority
- (Temminck, 1832)
- Order
- Cuculiformes
- Family
- Cuculidae
- Genus
- Carpococcyx
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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