Giant Coua / Coua gigas

Giant Coua / Coua gigas

Giant Coua

SCI Name:  Coua gigas
Protonym:  Cuculus gigas TablePlanchesEnlum. p.50
Taxonomy:  Cuculiformes / Cuculidae /
Taxonomy Code:  giacou1
Type Locality:  Madagascar, based on Daubenton, PL enlum., no. 815.
Author:  
Publish Year:  1783
IUCN Status:  

DEFINITIONS

COUA
(Cuculidae; Ϯ Giant Coua C. gigas) French name “Coua” given to these Madagascan cuckoos by Cuvier 1816 < Malagasy onomatopoeia Koa for the Red-fronted Coua and Red-breasted Coua. “COULICOU COUA  ...  Tel est le nom que les habitans de Madagascar ont imposé à cet oiseau [Coua cristata]; mais l’on ignore si c’est d’après son cri ou quelque autre propriété” (Vieillot 1817); "Die Cuas. Vaill.  Coua. (Coccyzus, Vieill.)   Unterscheiden sich von den Kukuks nur durch längere Füße, was aber sie noch mehr auszeichnet, ist, daß wenigstens die Arten, welche man näher kennt, in Baumlöchern nisten und ihre Eier nicht in fremde Nester leden.    Cua von Madagascar.  Coua. madagascariensis. Enl. 815.  Cocc. virescens. Vieill." (Schinz 1821); "Coua Schinz, Das Thierreich, 1, 1821, p. 661. Type, by monotypy, Cuculus madagascariensis Gmelin = Cuculus gigas Boddaert.4   ...   4 While sometimes credited to Cuvier, Règne Anim., 1816, p. 425, this genus was employed by him only in the vernacular, "les Couas"; Coua Oken, 1817, is a nomen nudum." (Peters, 1940, IV, p. 64).   
Var. Cua, Cona.   
Synon. CoccyzusCochlothraustes, Glaucococcyx, Serisomus.

gigas
L. gigas, gigantis  giant  < Gr. γιγας gigas, γιγαντος gigantos  giant.
● ex Ardea scolopacea J. Gmelin, 1789, and “Caráu” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 366 (syn. Aramus guarauna).
● ex “Coucal Géant” of Levaillant 1807, pl. 223 (syn. Centropus phasianinus).
● ex “Touraco Géant” of Levaillant 1813-1818, pl. 19 (syn. Corythaeola cristata).
● ex “Coucou verdâtre de Madagascar” of de Buffon 1770-1785, and “Great Madagascar Cuckow” of Latham 1781 (Coua).
● ex “Plus grand Martin-pêcheur” of de Buffon 1770-1785, and “Great Brown Kingsfisher” of Latham 1782 (syn. Dacelo novaeguineae).