Greater Black Coucal

SCI Name:  Centropus menbeki
Protonym:  Centropus Menbeki Voy.Coq. Atlas 1 livr.6 pl.33
Taxonomy:  Cuculiformes / Cuculidae / Centropus
Taxonomy Code:  grbcou1
Type Locality:  New Guinea = Dorey [now Manokwari].
Author:  Lesson & Garnot
Publish Year:  1828
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

CENTROPUS
(Cuculidae; Ϯ Senegal Coucal C. senegalensis) Gr. κεντρον kentron  spur, spike; πους pous, ποδος podos  foot; "This genus is distinguished from all other members of the family by having on the hallux a long nearly straight hind claw, very much like a Lark's." (Blanford 1895).  The coucals were formerly known as 'lark-heeled cuckoos.'  The substantive 'Coucal' is derived from French Coucou  cuckoo, and Alouette  lark; "GENUS 13. CENTROPUS (κεντρον stimulus, calcar  πους pes) (Spornfuß Germ.) Rostrum capiti brevius, incurvum, valde compressum, grypanium.  Tomia integerrima.  Nares plumis recumbentibus tectae.  Lingua . . .  Cauda gradata, elongata.  Pedes scansorii, congrui. Digiti externi internis longiores, antici fissi, posticorum externus versatilis? Ungues incurvi, posticus internus reliquis aliquantum longior, retiusculus, subulatus.  Species: Cuculus Aegyptius, Tolu LinGmel." (Illiger 1811); "Centropus Illiger, Prodromus, 1811, p. 205. Type, by subsequent designation, Cuculus aegyptius Gmelin. (G. R. Gray, List Gen. Bds., 1840, p. 56.)" (Peters, 1940, IV, p. 66). 
Var. Certropus, Certtopus, Centrophus. 
Synon. Anacentropus, Centrococcyx, Corydonyx, Grillia, Huhus, Megacentropus, Nesocentor, Nisus, Onixylus, Polophilus, Pyrrhocentor, Toulou.

menbeki
“Coucal Mênebéki  ...  cet oiseau habite la Nouvelle Guinée, où les Papous le nomment menebiki” (Lesson & Garnot 1828) (Centropus).

SUBSPECIES

Greater Black Coucal (menbeki)
SCI Name: Centropus menbeki menbeki
menbeki
“Coucal Mênebéki  ...  cet oiseau habite la Nouvelle Guinée, où les Papous le nomment menebiki” (Lesson & Garnot 1828) (Centropus).

Greater Black Coucal (jobiensis)
SCI Name: Centropus menbeki jobiensis
jobiensis
Jobi I. (= Japen), Geelvink Bay, New Guinea.
● Erroneous TL. Jobi I. (= mainland of New Guinea, east of Geelvink Bay) (Ailuroedus).

Greater Black Coucal (aruensis)
SCI Name: Centropus menbeki aruensis
aruense / aruensis
Aru Is., Moluccas, Indonesia.