NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Oriental Cuckoo
Cuculus optatus Gould, 1845
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 Oriental cuckoo or Horsfield's cuckoo (Cuculus optatus) is a bird belonging to the genus Cuculus in the cuckoo family Cuculidae. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the Himalayan cuckoo (C. saturatus), with the name 'Oriental cuckoo' used for the combined species. Differences in voice and size suggest that it should be treated as a separate species. The binomial name Cuculus horsfieldi has often been used instead of Cuculus optatus, but is now usually considered to be a junior synonym.
Wikipedia contributors, Oriental cuckoo; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T04:45:56.500794+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Cuculus optatus Gould, 1845
- Name authority
- Gould, 1845
- Common name
- Oriental 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 optatus Gould, 1845
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 |
| Indian CuckooCuculus micropterus Gould, 1838 | 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 |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Cuculus saturatus horsfieldi Moore, 1858 Moore, 1858 | synonym |
| Cuculus saturatus optatus Gould, 1845 Gould, 1845 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
North America
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=705303 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:6BPKJ. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.