Centropus fossil map
Where fossils of Centropus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 0 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 37.71 million years ago to the present (Priabonian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Paleogene, Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Cuculidae |
| Named by | Illiger 1811 |
| Fossil records | 4 occurrences at 4 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | France, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Australia |
| Rock formations | txn:39312 |
About Centropus
A coucal is one of about 30 species of birds in the cuckoo family. All of them belong in the subfamily Centropodinae and the genus Centropus. Unlike many Old World cuckoos, coucals are not brood parasites, though they do have their own reproductive peculiarity: all members of the genus are (to varying degrees) sex-role reversed, so that the smaller male provides most of the parental care. Male pheasant coucals (Centropus phasianinus) invest in building the nest, incubate for the most part and take a major role in feeding the young. At least one coucal species, the black coucal, is polyandrous.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Coucal (revision 1354924442), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q657775.
