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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Plaintive Cuckoo
Song
Loud, far-carrying resonant call; deep notes given from dense forest canopy in Africa. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo
Song
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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Conservation Status
Least Concern
Plaintive Cuckoo
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
Plaintive Cuckoo
Plumage
Plaintive Cuckoo: gray-brown above; rufous-orange below; long dark tail; yellow eye-ring; sexually dimorphic rufous morph females
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo
Plumage
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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Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus) — 20–24 cm. Male: grey above; rufous-orange below; yellow orbital skin. Female: heavily barred morph often differs. Widespread in South and Southeast Asia from Bangladesh to the Philippines. Brood parasite targeting tailorbirds and other warblers. Insectivore. Named for its plaintive descending whistle.
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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