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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Lesser Coucal
الغناء
Loud, raucous call with harsh nasal quality; piercing notes carrying far through dense Madagascar forest.
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo
الغناء
Loud, raucous call with harsh quality; penetrating notes carrying through dense forest in South Asia.
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Geographic Range & Migration
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Conservation Status Comparison
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حالة الحفاظ
Least Concern
Lesser Coucal
Least Concern
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Lesser Coucal
الريش
Black Coucal: all glossy black; red eye; shorter tail; females have rufous wash; strongly sexually dimorphic plumage
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo
الريش
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo: dark brown above; pale below with dense dark barring; hawk-like; long barred tail; yellow orbital ring; dark morph
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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Lesser Coucal (Centropus bengalensis) — 33–38 cm. Streaked brown above with a rufous wing panel; pale buff underparts; graduated tail. Widespread from India through Southeast Asia and China; inhabits grassland, scrub, and forest edges. Non-parasitic. Insectivore and small vertebrate predator. Smaller and more grass-dwelling than related species.
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo (Hierococcyx bocki) — 28–31 cm. Dark grey above; pale below with darker streaking; barred tail. Restricted to montane forest of the Malay Peninsula. Brood parasite. Insectivore. Rare; poorly documented.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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