Centropus colossus

Centropus colossus Temporal range: Late Pleistocene PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Cuculiformes
Family:	Cuculidae
Subfamily:	Centropodinae
Genus:	Centropus
Species:	C. colossus
Binomial name
Centropus colossus Baird, 1985

Centropus colossus is an extinct species of coucal from the Late Pleistocene of Australia. It was described from submerged subfossil material (a slightly damaged left humerus) collected in 1979 from the Green Waterhole Cave of south-eastern South Australia. Characteristics of the holotype specimen indicate that the bird was either flightless or, at least, had reduced flight capability. It was larger than any of its living congeners and was one of the largest cuckoos in the world. The specific epithet, the Latin colossus, refers to its great size.^[1]

References

1. Baird, Robert F. J. (1985). "Avian fossils from Quaternary deposits in ‘Green Waterhole Cave’, south-eastern South Australia" (PDF). Records of the Australian Museum 37 (6): 353–370. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.37.1985.332.