Raffles's Malkoha
Rhinortha chlorophaea
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCuculiformes (Cuckoos)
- FamilyCuculidae (Cuckoos)
- GenusRhinortha
- SpeciesRhinortha chlorophaea (Raffles's Malkoha)
About the Raffles's Malkoha
Raffles's malkoha (Rhinortha chlorophaea) is a species of cuckoo (family Cuculidae). It was formerly often placed in Phaenicophaeus with the other malkohas, but it appears to not be very closely related to the true malkohas. It exhibits several autapomorphies and sexual dimorphism (which its presumed relatives all lack).
It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand. It was once found in Singapore but is now considered extirpated. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. Its diet consists of insects, including caterpillars, cicadas, crickets, beetles, and locusts.
During courtship, the male Raffles's malkoha has been observed to stand on the base of the female's outstretched wings and hold a frog in its bill. It is unclear whether the frog is a gift to the female or whether the male keeps it afterward. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Sepilok
Greater Coucal
Centropus sinensis
Violet Cuckoo
Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus
Plaintive Cuckoo
Cacomantis merulinus
Indian Cuckoo
Cuculus micropterus
Asian Drongo-Cuckoo
Surniculus lugubris
Banded Bay Cuckoo
Cacomantis sonneratii
Red-billed Malkoha
Zanclostomus javanicus
Rusty-breasted Cuckoo
Cacomantis variolosus
Lesser Coucal
Centropus bengalensis
Little Bronze Cuckoo
Chrysococcyx minutillus
Short-toed Coucal
Centropus rectunguis
Hodgson's Hawk-Cuckoo
Cuculus fugax
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Khao Luang National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 2 | Way Kambas National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 3 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 4 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 5 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 6 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 7 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 8 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 9 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 10 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 11 | Tanjung Puting National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 12 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Raffles's Malkoha in Sepilok?
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Raffles's Malkoha sighting in Sepilok, based on 1,220 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Raffles's Malkoha in Sepilok?
December has the highest sighting rate for Raffles's Malkoha in Sepilok in our monthly data.