NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Kai Coucal
Centropus spilopterus G. R. Gray, 1858
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.
Kai Coucal (Centropus phasianinus ssp. spilopterus) on Kai Kesel, Indonesia by James Eaton. Note that this photo was taken before species split from Pheasant Coucal.
James Eaton · CC0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 320 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Kai coucal (Centropus spilopterus) is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is endemic to the Kai Islands of Indonesia. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the pheasant coucal (C. phasianus).
Wikipedia contributors, Kai coucal; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T01:57:58.605811+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Centropus spilopterus G. R. Gray, 1858
- Name authority
- G. R. Gray, 1858
- Common name
- Kai Coucal
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Cuculiformes
- Family
- Cuculidae
- Genus
- Centropus
- 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
- genusCentropus Illiger, 1811
- speciesCentropus spilopterus G. R. Gray, 1858
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Centropus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Short-toed CoucalCentropus rectunguis Strickland, 1847 | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Lesser CoucalCentropus bengalensis (J. F. Gmelin, 1788) | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Burchell's CoucalCentropus burchellii Swainson, 1838 | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Pied CoucalCentropus ateralbus R. Lesson, 1826 | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black-billed CoucalCentropus bernsteini Schlegel, 1866 | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Bay CoucalCentropus celebensis Quoy & Gaimard, 1832 | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Green-billed CoucalCentropus chlororhynchos Blyth, 1849 | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Coppery-tailed CoucalCentropus cupreicaudus Reichenow, 1896 | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Goliath CoucalCentropus goliath Bonaparte, 1850 | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black-throated CoucalCentropus leucogaster (Leach, 1814) | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Buff-headed CoucalCentropus milo Gould, 1856 | CuculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black-hooded CoucalCentropus steerii Bourns & Worcester, 1894 | 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 |
|---|---|
| Centropus phasianinus spilopterus G. R. Gray, 1858 G. R. Gray, 1858 | 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=554753 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.
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:SB7X. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.