''Chalcites'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
Australasian cuckoos in the family
Cuculidae. They were formerly placed in the genus ''
Chrysococcyx''.
Taxonomy
The genus ''Chalcites'' was introduced in 1830 by the French naturalist
René Lesson
René Primevère Lesson (20 March 1794 – 28 April 1849) was a French surgery, surgeon, natural history, naturalist, ornithologist, and herpetologist.
Biography
Lesson was born at Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, Rochefort, and entered the Naval ...
. The
type species
In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...
is, by
tautology, ''Cuculus chalcites'' which is a
junior synonym
In taxonomy, the scientific classification of living organisms, a synonym is an alternative scientific name for the accepted scientific name of a taxon. The botanical and zoological codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently.
...
of ''Cuculus plagosus''
Latham, now considered to be a
subspecies
In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...
of the
shining bronze cuckoo
The shining bronze cuckoo (''Chalcites lucidus'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae, found in Australia, Indonesia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. It was formerly placed in the genus '' C ...
(''Chalcites lucidus''). The genus name is from
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
χαλκιτης (''khalkitēs'') meaning "containing copper" or "coppery".
The cuckoos in this genus were formerly placed with group of Afro-Asian cuckoos in the genus ''
Chrysococcyx''. They were moved to ''Chalcites'' based on differences in morphology and the lack of significant sexual dimorphism.
The genus contains eight species:
[
* Long-billed cuckoo, ''Chalcites megarhynchus''
* Horsfield's bronze cuckoo, ''Chalcites basalis''
* Black-eared cuckoo, ''Chalcites osculans''
* Rufous-throated bronze cuckoo, ''Chalcites ruficollis''
* ]Shining bronze cuckoo
The shining bronze cuckoo (''Chalcites lucidus'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae, found in Australia, Indonesia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. It was formerly placed in the genus '' C ...
, ''Chalcites lucidus''
* White-eared bronze cuckoo, ''Chalcites meyerii''
* Little bronze cuckoo
The little bronze cuckoo (''Chalcites minutillus'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It was formerly placed in the genus '' Chrysococcyx''. It is a common brood parasite of birds form the genus '' Geryone.'' This cuckoo is found i ...
, ''Chalcites minutillus''
* Pied bronze cuckoo, ''Chalcites crassirostris''
References
Bird genera
Taxa described in 1830
Taxa named by René Lesson
{{Cuculiformes-stub