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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Kai Coucal
Song
Loud, far-carrying resonant call; deep hollow notes given repeatedly from tropical forest perch. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.
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
Least Concern
Kai 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
Kai Coucal
Plumage
Burchell's Coucal: white eyebrow; streaked brown above; rufous wings; pale white below; long tail; red eye; bold white supercilium
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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Kai Coucal (Centropus spilopterus) — 42–46 cm. Chestnut-rufous with spotted wing coverts; black head and tail; heavy bill. Endemic to the Kai Islands, Indonesia. Inhabits forest and dense scrub. Non-parasitic. Omnivore. Poorly known due to its remote island range.
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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