Cacomantis is a genus of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. The genus name is derived from the Greek kakos meaning evil or ill-boding and mantis for prophet and is derived from their association with "rains" being supposed to be predict ill fortune and bad weather. Most of them have a round nostril and are mainly in brown and gray colours. The tails are graduated and barred. The bars are transverse in sonneratii and oblique in all others.[1]
The genus Cacomantis was introduced in 1843 by the German naturalist Salomon Müller with the plaintive cuckoo as the type species.[2][3] The genus name is from the Ancient Greek kakomantis meaning "prophet of doom".[4]