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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute	Lesser Coucal	Dark Hawk-Cuckoo
Scientific Name	Centropus bengalensis	Hierococcyx bocki
Order	Cuculiformes	Cuculiformes
Family	Cuculidae	Cuculidae
Conservation Status	Least Concern	Least Concern
Length	—	—
Wingspan	30.9 cm (12.2 in)	35.9 cm (14.1 in)
Weight	172.075 g (6.07 oz)	137.0 g (4.83 oz)
Diet	--	--
Clutch Size	2-4	--
Population Trend	—	—

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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Lesser Coucal only

🌾 Grassland 🌿 Wetland

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo only

🌲 Forest

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Song & Call Comparison

Lesser Coucal

Song

Loud, raucous call with harsh nasal quality; piercing notes carrying far through dense Madagascar forest.

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

Song

Loud, raucous call with harsh quality; penetrating notes carrying through dense forest in South Asia.

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Lesser Coucal

Least Concern

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

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How to Tell Them Apart

Lesser Coucal

Plumage

Black Coucal: all glossy black; red eye; shorter tail; females have rufous wash; strongly sexually dimorphic plumage

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 These Birds

Lesser Coucal

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

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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More Birds to Explore

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