Lesser Coucal

SCI Name:  Centropus bengalensis
Protonym:  Cuculus bengalensis Syst.Nat. 1 pt1 p.412
Taxonomy:  Cuculiformes / Cuculidae / Centropus
Taxonomy Code:  lescou1
Type Locality:  Bengal.
Author:  Gmelin, JF
Publish Year:  1788
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.

bengalensis
Bengal, India (from local name Bangala). Historically, Bengal comprised the greater part of northern India.
● ex “Little Indian Kingfisher” of Edwards 1743, “Ispida Bengalensis” of Brisson 1760, “Martin-pêcheur de Bengale” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Indian Kingsfisher” of Latham 1782 (subsp. Alcedo atthis).
● ex “Lark-heeled Cuckow” of Brown 1776, and Latham 1782 (Centropus).
● ex “Bengal Vulture” of Latham 1781 (Gyps).
● ex “Indian Bustard” of Edwards 1758, and Latham 1783, “Pluvialis bengalensis major” of Brisson 1760, and “Churge” or “Outarde moyenne des Indes” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (Houbaropsis).

SUBSPECIES

Lesser Coucal (bengalensis)
SCI Name: Centropus bengalensis bengalensis
bengalensis
Bengal, India (from local name Bangala). Historically, Bengal comprised the greater part of northern India.
● ex “Little Indian Kingfisher” of Edwards 1743, “Ispida Bengalensis” of Brisson 1760, “Martin-pêcheur de Bengale” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Indian Kingsfisher” of Latham 1782 (subsp. Alcedo atthis).
● ex “Lark-heeled Cuckow” of Brown 1776, and Latham 1782 (Centropus).
● ex “Bengal Vulture” of Latham 1781 (Gyps).
● ex “Indian Bustard” of Edwards 1758, and Latham 1783, “Pluvialis bengalensis major” of Brisson 1760, and “Churge” or “Outarde moyenne des Indes” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (Houbaropsis).

Lesser Coucal (lignator)
SCI Name: Centropus bengalensis lignator
lignator
L. lignator, lignatoris  wood-cutter  < lignari  to fetch wood  < lignum, ligni  wood.

Lesser Coucal (javanensis)
SCI Name: Centropus bengalensis javanensis
javaensis / javana / javanense / javanensis / javanica
Java, Dutch East Indies / Indonesia.  The origins of the island name (Jawa in Indonesian) are obscure  ?< Malay Jewa  millet  < Sanskrit Yava  barley.
● ex “Javan Partridge” of Brown 1776, and Latham 1783 (Arborophila).
● ex “Martin-Pêcheur de Java” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 757 (subsp. Pelargopsis capensis).
● Erroneous TL. Java (= Australia); ex “Tourterelle de Java” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 177, “Turvert” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Javan Turtle” of Latham 1783 (syn. Chalcophaps chrysochlora).

Lesser Coucal (sarasinorum)
SCI Name: Centropus bengalensis sarasinorum
sarasini / sarasinorum
Paul Benedikt Sarasin (1856-1929) and his cousin Karl Friedrich “Fritz” Sarasin (1859-1942) Swiss zoologists, explorers and collectors (subsp. Centropus bengalensis, syn. Haliastur sphenurus, Myza, Phylloscopus, syn. Zosterops montanus).

Lesser Coucal (medius)
SCI Name: Centropus bengalensis medius
medium / medius
L. medius  intermediate, middle.
● ex “Guifette” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 924 (syn. Chlidonias niger).
● "54. PICUS.  ...  medius.  11. P. albo nigroque varius, ano verticeque rubris.  Picus albo nigroque varius, rectricibus tribus lateralibus apice albo variegatis. Fn. svec. 82.  Picus varius minor. Gesn. av. 708. Aldr. orn. l. 42. c. 33. Will. ornith. 92. t. 21. Raj. av. 43. Hasselqv. iter. 242.  Habitat in Europa.” (Linnaeus 1758) (Leiopicus).