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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.
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
Kai 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
Kai Coucal
Plumage
Burchell's Coucal: white eyebrow; streaked brown above; rufous wings; pale white below; long tail; red eye; bold white supercilium
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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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.
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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