| Cuckoo-roller | |
|---|---|
| |
| Female or juvenile | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Clade: | Cavitaves |
| Order: | Leptosomiformes Sharpe, 1891 |
| Family: | Leptosomidae Blyth, 1838 |
| Genus: | Leptosomus Vieillot, 1816 |
| Species: | L. discolor
|
| Binomial name | |
| Leptosomus discolor (Hermann, 1783)
| |
The cuckoo-roller or courol (Leptosomus discolor)[2] is the only bird in the family Leptosomidae /lɛptoʊˈsɒmɪdiː/, which was previously often placed in the order Coraciiformes but is now placed in its own order Leptosomiformes. The cuckoo-roller is at the root of a group that contains the Trogoniformes, Bucerotiformes, Piciformes, and Coraciiformes.[3] Despite its name, the Cuckoo-roller does not share close evolutionary origins with cuckoos or rollers.[4]
It is a medium-large bird, inhabiting forests and woodlands in Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. Three subspecies are described: the nominate L. d. discolor is found in Madagascar and Mayotte Island, L. d. intermedius on Anjouan, and L. d. gracilis of Grand Comoro. Based on its smaller size, differences in the plumage, and minor difference in the voice, the last of these is sometimes considered a separate species, the Comoro cuckoo-roller (L. gracilis).
- ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Leptosomus discolor". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22682975A92970935. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22682975A92970935.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ del Hoyo, J. Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. (2001)
- ^ Kuhl, H.; Frankl-Vilches, C.; Bakker, A.; Mayr, G.; Nikolaus, G.; Boerno, S.T.; Klages, S.; Timmermann, B.; Gahr, M. (2020). "An unbiased molecular approach using 3′-UTRs resolves the avian family-level tree of life". Molecular Biology and Evolution. 38 (msaa191): 108–127. doi:10.1093/molbev/msaa191. hdl:21.11116/0000-0007-B72A-C. PMID 32781465.
- ^ "Leptosomidae Cuckoo-roller".