Raffles's malkoha

Raffles's malkoha (Rhinortha chlorophaea) is a species of cuckoo (family Cuculidae). It was formerly often placed in Phaenicophaeus with the other malkohas, but it is a rather distinct species, with several autapomorphies and sexual dimorphism (which its presumed relatives all lack).

Raffles's malkoha
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Class: Aves
Order: Cuculiformes
Family: Cuculidae
Genus: Rhinortha
Vigors, 1830
Species:
R. chlorophaea
Binomial name
Rhinortha chlorophaea
(Raffles, 1822)
Synonyms

Cuculus chlorophaeus Raffles, 1822
Phaenicophaeus chlorophaeus (Raffles, 1822)

It might not even be very closely related to the true malkohas, but form a very basal lineage of cuckoos; in any case, its placement in a monotypic genus Rhinortha is well warranted.

It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

Its diet consists of insects, including caterpillars, cicadas, crickets, beetles, and locustids.[2]

During courtship, the male Raffles's malkoha has been observed to stand on the base of the female's outstretched wings and hold a frog in its bill. It is unclear whether the frog is a gift to the female or whether the male keeps it afterward.[2]

References
  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Rhinortha chlorophaea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22684107A93014746. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22684107A93014746.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. Bhowmik, Deepshikha; Chetri, Shiela; Das, Bhaskar Jyoti; Dhar Chanda, Debadatta; Bhattacharjee, Amitabha (2021-02-10). "Distribution of virulence genes and SCCmec types among methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus of clinical and environmental origin: a study from community of Assam, India". BMC Research Notes. 14 (1). doi:10.1186/s13104-021-05473-3. ISSN 1756-0500. PMC 7876809.


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