NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Red-capped Coua
Coua ruficeps G. R. Gray, 1846
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The red-capped coua (Coua ruficeps) is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is endemic to northwest Madagascar.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.
The olive-capped coua was formerly treated as a subspecies of the red-capped coua but has been elevated to species status based on the differences in plumage and vocalisation.
Wikipedia contributors, Red-capped coua; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T04:46:20.642712+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Coua ruficeps G. R. Gray, 1846
- Name authority
- G. R. Gray, 1846
- Common name
- Red-capped Coua
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Cuculiformes
- Family
- Cuculidae
- Genus
- Coua
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderCuculiformes
- familyCuculidae
- genusCoua Schinz, 1821
- speciesCoua ruficeps G. R. Gray, 1846
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Coua. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Red-fronted CouaCoua reynaudii Pucheran, 1845 | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Coua ruficeps ruficeps G. R. Gray, 1846 G. R. Gray, 1846 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=554743 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:6B9TR. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.