''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 ...

Australasian Australasia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising Australia, New Zealand (overlapping with Polynesia), and sometimes including New Guinea and surrounding islands (overlapping with Melanesia). The term is used in a number of different contexts, ...

cuckoos Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae ( ) family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes ( ). The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals, and anis. The coucals and anis are somet ...

in the family

Cuculidae Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae ( ) family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes ( ). The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals, and anis. The coucals and anis are someti ...

. They were formerly placed in the genus ''

Chrysococcyx ''Chrysococcyx'' is a genus of cuckoos in the family Cuculidae. Taxonomy The genus ''Chrysococcyx'' was erected by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie in 1826 with the African emerald cuckoo (''Chrysococcyx cupreus'') as the type species. The ...

''.

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 ''

''. 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 Horsfield's bronze cuckoo (''Chalcites basalis'') is a small cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. Its size averages and is distinguished by its green and bronze iridescent colouring on its back and incomplete brown barring from neck to tail. Horsfiel ...

, ''Chalcites basalis'' *

Black-eared cuckoo The black-eared cuckoo (''Chalcites osculans'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. Found across Australia, it migrates to eastern Indonesia and southern New Guinea. They are usually observed by themselves or in a pair as they don't ...

, ''Chalcites osculans'' *

Rufous-throated bronze cuckoo The rufous-throated bronze cuckoo (''Chalcites ruficollis'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It was formerly placed in the genus ''Chrysococcyx''. It is found in the highlands of New Guinea where its natural habitat is tropical mo ...

, ''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 The pied bronze cuckoo (''Chalcites crassirostris'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found on the Tayandu Islands, the Kai Islands and the Tanimbar Islands, all of which are part of the Maluku Islands in Southeast Asia. It w ...

, ''Chalcites crassirostris''

References

Bird genera Taxa described in 1830 Taxa named by René Lesson {{Cuculiformes-stub