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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Goliath Coucal
Song
Loud, far-carrying coo with resonant quality; deep notes building in dramatic sequence from forest perch.
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
Song
Soft, ventriloquial whistled phrase; clear pure notes given quietly and deceptively from dense tropical thicket.
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Geographic Range & Migration
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Conservation Status Comparison
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Conservation Status
Least Concern
Goliath Coucal
Least Concern
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Goliath Coucal
Plumage
Lesser Coucal: smaller; dark brown above; rufous wings; pale buff-white below; red eye; long graduated dark tail; less glossy
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
Plumage
Greater Roadrunner: boldly streaked brown above; white-cream below with dark streaks; long tail; shaggy crest; bare facial skin; fast runner
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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Goliath Coucal (Centropus goliath) — 65–75 cm. The largest coucal; all-dark with a massive decurved bill; faint bronze-green gloss; very long tail. Endemic to the Moluccas, Indonesia, in primary lowland forest. Non-parasitic. Omnivore; hunts large lizards, birds, frogs, and invertebrates.
Lesser Ground-cuckoo (Morococcyx erythropygus) — 28 cm. Brown above; chestnut rump; whitish underparts; bare blue orbital skin. Inhabits dry and semi-arid scrub from Mexico to Costa Rica. Non-parasitic; builds its own nest in low shrubs. Runs on the ground hunting large insects, lizards, and amphibians. Monotypic genus endemic to Mesoamerica.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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