Chestnut-bellied Malkoha

SCI Name:  Phaenicophaeus sumatranus
Protonym:  Cuculus Sumatranus Trans.Linn.Soc.London(1), 13 p.287
Taxonomy:  Cuculiformes / Cuculidae / Phaenicophaeus
Taxonomy Code:  chbmal1
Type Locality:  Hills of Sumatra.
Author:  Raffles
Publish Year:  1822
IUCN Status:  Near Threatened

DEFINITIONS

PHAENICOPHAEUS
(Cuculidae; Ϯ Crimson-faced Malkoha P. pyrrhocephalus) Gr. φοινικοφαης phoinikophaēs  of crimson appearance, red-gleaming  < φοινιξ phoinix, φοινικος phoinikos  crimson; φαω phaō  to shine; "PHÆNICOPHÆUS.  MALKOHA.   Generic Character.  Rostrum valde robustum, subincurvatum.  Pedes simplices: digitis duobus anticis, duobus posticis, externo longiore.  Caput circa oculos denudatum, papillatum.   THIS genus is readily distinguished from Cuculus by the naked and papillated space that surrounds the eyes, and from Polophilus by the structure of the hinder toes.  The head is somewhat square and very thick; the wings rather short, and the tail remarkably long.    RED-HEADED MALKOHA.  (Phænicophæus pyrrhocephalus.)  ...  This species lives on fruits, and is found at Ceylon, where it is called Malkoha.    WHITE-BELLIED MALKOHA.  (Phænicophæus leucogaster.)  ...  Le Malkoha. Le Vail. Ois. d'Afriq. 5. 90. pl. 224.  MALKOHA leucogaster inhabits Africa   ...   TRICOLOURED MALKOHA.  (Phænicophæus tricolor.)  ...  Le Malkoha rouverdin. Le Vail. Ois. d'Afriq. 5. 92. pl. 225." (Stephens 1815); "Phænicophæus Stephens, in Shaw's Gen. Zool., 9, pt. 1, 1815, p. 58. Type, Cuculus pyrrhocephalus Pennant.³   ...   ³ The type of Phoenicophaus Vieillot, Analyse, 1816, p. 27 is Cuculus pyrrhocephalus Gmelin i.e. Pennant, by monotypy.  Phaenicophaeus Stephens as originally constituted contained three species:— Cuculus pyrrhocephalus Gmelin, i.e. Pennant, Ph. leucogaster Stephens [= Cuculus pyrrhocephalus Pennant], and Ph. tricolor Stephens [= Cuculus curvirostris Shaw].  I cannot find that Phaenicophaeus Stephens has ever had a type designated; I therefore designate Cuculus pyrrhocephalus Gmelin [= Cuculus pyrrhocephalus Pennant] as such." (Peters 1940, IV, 56).
Var. Phaenicophaus, Phoenicophaus, Phoenicophaeus, Phoenicophanes, Phoenicophoeus, Phenicophaus, Phoenicophaes ("Gen. PHOENICOPHAËS*  ...  *) Als Ableitung des Wortes Phoenicophaus (!) giebt Vieillot (Analys. Orn. Elém. p. 70) die von φοινικοφαης (= purpureus adspectu) an, und kann demnach dasselbe, wie schon Gloger (Fror. Not. Geb. Nat.- & Heilk. XVI (1827). p. 278) angiebt, einzig richtig Phoenicophaës geschrieben werden.  Die von Manchen versuchten Emendirungen des Wortes in Phoenicophaeus u. desgl. halten wir bei Vögeln, die fast nichts Graues an sich haben, für verfehlt; offenbar wollten Stephens und Vieillot bei fast gleichzeitiger Aufstellung unserer Gattung durch diesen Namen nur die auffallend rothe Färbung des nackten Gesichtes bezeichnen, welche einen Hauptcharakter dieses und des vorigen Genus bildet." (Cabanis & Heine 1863)).
Synon. Alectorops, Carpophaga, Dryococcyx, Malcoha, Melias, Poliococcyx, Rhopodytes, Urococcyx.

sumatrae / sumatrana / sumatranum / sumatranus / sumatrensis
Sumatra, Dutch East Indies / Indonesia  < Sanskrit Samudra  sea (a name subsequently mangled by European travellers).
● ex “Malacca Partridge” of Latham 1823 (syn. Caloperdix oculeus).
● Perhaps the “Polo Condor Gull” of Latham 1801 (Sterna).
● Erroneous TL. Sumatra (= Celebes / Sulawesi) (Tanygnathus).