Coppery-tailed Coucal vs Sulawesi Cuckoo

Centropus cupreicaudus compared with Cuculus crassirostris

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Coppery-tailed Coucal Sulawesi Cuckoo
Scientific Name Centropus cupreicaudus Cuculus crassirostris
Order Cuculiformes Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae Cuculidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 42.2 cm (16.6 in) 41.2 cm (16.2 in)
Weight 264.0 g (9.31 oz) 85.0 g (3.00 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 2-4 --
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Coppery-tailed Coucal only

Sulawesi Cuckoo only

Song & Call Comparison

Coppery-tailed Coucal

Song

Deep, hollow resonant booming call; powerful low-frequency notes carrying across dense tropical forest habitat.

Sulawesi Cuckoo

Song

Loud, raucous call with harsh quality; penetrating notes carrying through dense forest in Asia. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Coppery-tailed Coucal

Least Concern

Sulawesi Cuckoo

How to Tell Them Apart

Coppery-tailed Coucal

Sulawesi Cuckoo

Plumage

Sulawesi Cuckoo: dark gray-brown above; pale below; long dark tail; yellow orbital ring; Sulawesi endemic; larger than most Cuculus

About These Birds

Coppery-tailed Coucal

Coppery-tailed Coucal (Centropus cupreicaudus) — 45–50 cm. Large; chestnut back; black head; tail with coppery-bronze gloss; stout bill. Found in rank grass, papyrus, and dense scrub of Central to southern Africa. Non-parasitic. Omnivore; associated with floodplain habitats. Near Threatened due to wetland drainage.

Sulawesi Cuckoo

Sulawesi Cuckoo (Cuculus crassirostris) — 30–34 cm. Dark grey above; pale below with bold brown-grey barring; heavier bill than most Cuculus. Endemic to Sulawesi in montane forest. Brood parasite. Insectivore. Poorly known.

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