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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Green-billed Coucal
Song
Loud, nasal call with carrying quality; distinctive resonant notes given from tall African forest tree.
African Cuckoo
Song
Loud, far-carrying raucous call; harsh penetrating notes given from tall African forest canopy. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.
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Geographic Range & Migration
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Conservation Status Comparison
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Conservation Status
Vulnerable
Green-billed Coucal
Least Concern
African Cuckoo
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Green-billed Coucal
Plumage
Sunda Coucal: dark glossy brown above; rufous wings; pale buff-cream below; long graduated dark tail; red eye; forest-dwelling
African Cuckoo
Plumage
African Cuckoo: gray above; white below with rufous barring; long dark tail; yellow eye-ring; African migrant similar to Common
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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Green-billed Coucal (Centropus chlororhynchos) — 43–47 cm. Blue-black with a long graduated tail; pale greenish bill. Endemic to Sri Lanka in wet forest and dense riverine scrub. Non-parasitic. Omnivore; hunts lizards, large insects, and frogs. Vulnerable; highly forest-dependent and threatened by ongoing deforestation.
African Cuckoo (Cuculus gularis) — 32–35 cm. Very similar to Common Cuckoo; grey above; barred below; yellow bill base and orbital ring; long tail. Migratory intra-African breeder across sub-Saharan woodland and savanna. Brood parasite primarily targeting fork-tailed drongos. Insectivore.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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