Centropus phasianus; Print; Coucal; 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. At least one coucal species; the black coucal; is polyandrous. Some species (Centropus phasianinus) have the male investing more in incubation and parental care.Recent DNA evidence suggests that they should be raised to family status; as Centropodidae.; 1796-1808