Ivory-billed Coucal vs Sulawesi Cuckoo

Centropus menbeki compared with Cuculus crassirostris

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Ivory-billed Coucal Sulawesi Cuckoo
Scientific Name Centropus menbeki Cuculus crassirostris
Order Cuculiformes Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae Cuculidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 43.6 cm (17.2 in) 41.2 cm (16.2 in)
Weight 461.25 g (16.27 oz) 85.0 g (3.00 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size -- --
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Ivory-billed Coucal only

None

Sulawesi Cuckoo only

None

Song & Call Comparison

Ivory-billed Coucal

Song

Harsh, far-carrying call with deep quality; resonant rough notes carrying across African lowland forest.

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

Ivory-billed Coucal

Least Concern

Sulawesi Cuckoo

How to Tell Them Apart

Ivory-billed 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

Ivory-billed Coucal

Ivory-billed Coucal (Centropus menbeki) — 60–68 cm. Very large; blackish-brown overall with a pale ivory-coloured heavy bill; long graduated tail. Found in forest and tall secondary growth of New Guinea and Aru Islands. Non-parasitic; builds an enclosed grass nest. Omnivorous; takes large invertebrates, lizards, frogs, and small mammals.

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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