What does 'hepatic' mean? (2 Viewers)

Sorry if I'm in the wrong forum - we're just interested in what the term 'hepatic' means (eg: 'hepatic cuckoo'). If we look the term up on t'internet all you get back is stuff about livers....


pmb

You were on the right track...

In the case of the tanager, 'hepatic' refers to the liver-red colour of the adult male.

Hepatic-morph cuckoo also refers to the red-brown coloration.

Richard Klim said:

You were on the right track... In the case of the tanager, 'hepatic' refers to the liver-red colour of the adult male. Hepatic-morph cuckoo also refers to the red-brown coloration.

Click to expand...

In the case of the Hepatic Tanager, it could very well be that because although the male is red, the mantle and wings when the bird is perched are brownish, and in immature birds achieving their first adult plumage, the brown areas can be blotchy, much like liver spots. Even if this isn't at all part of the explanation as to how the English name came about, perhaps it ought to be!:t:

Incidentally, the proportion of hepatic Common Cuckoos (only females) may vary geographically, if my own experience in eastern Austria and western Hungary in spring is representative - it seems to be rather higher than the quoted 14%.:eek!:
MJB

I've always wondered about this - glad to see the question and answer!