What is "malkoha"

n. Any of the cuculine birds in the ''Phaenicophaeus'' genus, found across southern and south-east Asia.

Malkohas are large birds in the cuckoo family Cuculidae, all in the genus Phaenicophaeus. The group name is derived from the Sinhala word for the red-faced malkoha; Mal-Koha meaning flower-cuckoo. These are all Asian tropical species. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek phoiniko- "crimson", and phaes "eyes" or "face", referring to the red-faced malkoha. However, the 'œ' was mistranscribed as 'æ'.

Species in taxonomic order are:

• Black-bellied malkoha, Phaenicophaeus diardi
• Chestnut-bellied malkoha, Phaenicophaeus sumatranus
• Blue-faced malkoha, Phaenicophaeus viridirostris
• Green-billed malkoha, Phaenicophaeus tristis
• Sirkeer malkoha, Phaenicophaeus leschenaultii
• Red-billed malkoha, Phaenicophaeus javanicus
• Yellow-billed malkoha, Phaenicophaeus calyorhynchus
• Chestnut-breasted malkoha, Phaenicophaeus curvirostris
• Red-faced malkoha, Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus
• Rough-crested malkoha or red-crested malkoha, Phaenicophaeus superciliosus
• Scale-feathered malkoha, Phaenicophaeus cumingi

Raffles's malkoha ("P." chlorophaeus) is a highly distinct species and may not even be as closely related to malkohas as long believed. Its placement in a monotypic genus Rhinortha is supported by a morphological, molecular and behavioral evidence.

The green malkoha or yellowbill seems also distinct from the typical malkohas; it is placed in the monotypic genus Ceuthmochares.