Lesser Cuckoo

SCI Name:  Cuculus poliocephalus
Protonym:  Cuculus poliocephalus IndexOrn. 1 p.214
Taxonomy:  Cuculiformes / Cuculidae / Cuculus
Taxonomy Code:  lescuc1
Type Locality:  India.
Author:  Latham
Publish Year:  1790
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

CUCULUS
(Cuculidae; Ϯ Common Cuckoo C. canorus) L. cuculus  cuckoo. "52. CUCULUS.  Rostrum teretiusculum.  Nares margine prominulæ.  Lingua sagittata, plana, integra." (Linnaeus 1758); "Cuculus Linné, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 110. Type, by tautonymy, Cuculus canorus Linné (Cuculus, prebinomial specific name in synonymy.)" (Peters, 1940, IV, p. 14). Linnaeus's Cuculus comprised eight species (C. canorus, C. Persa, C. Vetula, C. glandarius, C. scolopaceus, C. niger, C. americanus, C. auratus). Together with the arrival of the Barn Swallow, the distinctive calls of the Common Cuckoo are traditionally and widely regarded as the harbingers of springtime throughout Europe.   
Var. Cucculus, Cuculis, Cuculuc.   
Synon. Coccyx, Edolius, Melanococcyx, Multivoculus, Nicoclarius, Notococcyx, Surniculoides, Versiculus.

POLIOCEPHALUS
(Podicipedidae; Ϯ Hoary-headed Grebe P. poliocephalus) Specific name Podiceps poliocephalus Jardine & Selby, 1827. "FAM. COLYMBIDÆ.   Genus Podiceps. LATH.  ...  Pod. (Poliocephalus, SELBY) (1) Nestor.  Australia.  ...  (1) Mr. Swainson gives to this group a generic value, but we doubt whether it is even entitled to a subgeneric rank." (Selby 1840); "Poliocephalus Selby, Cat. Gen. Subgen. Types Av., 1840, p. 47. Type, by monotypy and tautonymy, Podiceps poliocephalus Jardine and Selby." (Peters 1931, 1, 35) (see nestor).
Var. Poliocephelus.
Synon. Colymbetes, Dasyptilus.

poliocephalus
Gr. πολιος polios  grey, grizzled; -κεφαλος -kephalos  -headed  < κεφαλη kephalē  head.
● ex “Grey-headed Cuckow” of Latham 1787 (Cuculus).
● ex “Ash-headed Thrush” of Latham 1801 (Turdus).