Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun An African or Indian spur-heeled cuckoo: a name first definitely applied by Cuvier in 1817 to the birds of the genus Centropus (Illiger).

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Zoöl.) A large, Old World, ground cuckoo of the genus Centropus, of several species.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Any bird of the genus Centropus in the cuckoo family Cuculidae.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun Old World ground-living cuckoo having a long dagger-like hind claw

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

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Examples

  • Birds considered to be endangered or rare are Sri Lanka wood pigeon Columba torringtoni, green-billed coucal Centropus chlororhynchus, Sri Lanka white-headed starling Sturnus senex, Sri Lanka blue magpie Cissa ornata, and ashy-headed babbler Garrulax cinereifrons, all of which are endemic, and red-faced malkoha Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus.

    Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka 2008

  • The Park is also habitat for major South African populations of greater and lesser flamingo Phoenicoepterus ruber, and P. minor, osprey Pandion haliaetus, Neergaard's sunbird Nectarinia bifasciata, Woodward's batis Batis fratrum, Natal nightjar Caprimulgus natalensis, blackrumped button-quail Turnix hottentotta, black coucal Centropus bengalensis and shorttailed pipit Anthus brachyurus. 62 species are listed in the South African Red Data Book and 73 species are listed in CITES appendices.

    Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, South Africa 2008

  • The endemic green-billed coucal and Sri Lanka whistling-thrush (Myiophonus blighi) are considered threatened.

    Sri Lanka lowland rain forests 2008

  • Of the endemic species, 10 are considered threatened, including the green-billed coucal (Centropus chlororhynchos, VU), the Sri Lanka whistling thrush (Myiophonus blighi, EN) and rufous-breasted laughingthrush (Garrulax cachinnans, EN).

    Biological diversity in the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka 2008

  • The avifauna of this region includes two strictly endemic species Neumann's coucal (Centropus neumanni) and the golden-naped weaver (Ploceus aureonucha, EN).

    Northeastern Congolian lowland forests 2007

  • Three of these species, the Mindoro bleeding-heart, the Mindoro imperial pigeon, and the black-hooded coucal, are strict island endemics.

    Mindoro rain forests 2007

  • Science seems somewhat bewildered by its contrarieties; it is placed among the cuckoos, its formal title being CENTROPUS PHASIANINUS — pheasant-like spur-foot — while the approved vernacular name is a combination, pheasant-coucal.

    Last Leaves from Dunk Island 2003

  • The swamp pheasant, or pheasant coucal (CENTROPUS PHASIANUS) is also an early bird, and a bird of varied linguistic capabilities.

    The Confessions of a Beachcomber 2003

  • The nest of the crow-pheasant or coucal is a massive structure, globular in shape, with the entrance at one side.

    A Bird Calendar for Northern India Douglas Dewar 1916

  • The call of this bird, which continues later in the year than that of the common cuckoo, is not unlike the _whoot-whoot-whoot_ of the crow-pheasant or coucal.

    Birds of the Indian Hills Douglas Dewar 1916

Comments

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  • a type of cuckoo--avian, not human ;-)

    February 17, 2007

  • a European roadrunner???

    September 29, 2008

  • Dunno. Does it go 'beep beep'?

    September 29, 2008