Ivory-billed Coucal vs Lesser Roadrunner

Centropus menbeki compared with Geococcyx velox

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Ivory-billed Coucal Lesser Roadrunner
Scientific Name Centropus menbeki Geococcyx velox
Order Cuculiformes Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae Cuculidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length — —
Wingspan 43.6 cm (17.2 in) 28.3 cm (11.1 in)
Weight 461.25 g (16.27 oz) 184.1 g (6.49 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size -- 2-3
Population Trend — —

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Ivory-billed Coucal only

Lesser Roadrunner only

None

Song & Call Comparison

Ivory-billed Coucal

Song

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

Lesser Roadrunner

Song

Loud, call carrying far; distinctive hollow notes audible across dry open Central American terrain. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Ivory-billed Coucal

Least Concern

Lesser Roadrunner

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.

Lesser Roadrunner

Lesser Roadrunner (Geococcyx velox) — 46–52 cm. Similar to Greater Roadrunner but smaller with a more streaked breast. Found in dry scrub, open woodland, and arid valleys from Mexico to Nicaragua. Non-parasitic; carnivorous; eats insects and small vertebrates. Shares the same terrestrial running lifestyle as its northern relative.

More Birds to Explore