NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Indian Cuckoo
Cuculus micropterus Gould, 1838
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 Indian cuckoo or short-winged cuckoo (Cuculus micropterus) is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, that is found in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It ranges from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia and north to China and Russia. It is a solitary and shy bird, found in forests and open woodland at up to 3,600 m (11,800 ft).
Wikipedia contributors, Indian cuckoo; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T03:27:03.867897+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Cuculus micropterus Gould, 1838
- Name authority
- Gould, 1838
- Common name
- Indian Cuckoo
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Cuculiformes
- Family
- Cuculidae
- Genus
- Cuculus
- 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
- genusCuculus Linnaeus, 1758
- speciesCuculus micropterus Gould, 1838
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Cuculus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Madagascar CuckooCuculus rochii Hartlaub, 1863 | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Red-chested CuckooCuculus solitarius Stephens, 1815 | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Oriental CuckooCuculus optatus Gould, 1845 | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Sunda CuckooCuculus lepidus S. Müller, 1845 | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Lesser CuckooCuculus poliocephalus Latham, 1790 | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Himalayan CuckooCuculus saturatus Blyth, 1843 | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Southern Asia
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=554682 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:6BPKG. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.