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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Black-hooded Coucal
Song
Loud, booming call with deep resonance; powerful notes carrying across humid West African lowland forest.
African Emerald Cuckoo
Song
Deep, hollow resonant booming call; powerful low notes carrying far through dense tropical forest. 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
Critically Endangered
Black-hooded Coucal
Least Concern
African Emerald Cuckoo
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Black-hooded Coucal
Plumage
Kai Coucal: dark brown above with iridescent sheen; rufous wings; pale buff below; long dark tail; orange-red eye; Kai island endemic
African Emerald Cuckoo
Plumage
New Caledonian Bronze-cuckoo: bronze-green above; barred white below; island endemic; red eye; iridescent bronze-green; small size
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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Black-hooded Coucal (Centropus steerii) — 40–45 cm. Rufous-chestnut body; entirely black head and upper breast; long tail. Endemic to Mindoro island, Philippines, in lowland forest and scrub. Non-parasitic. Omnivore. Vulnerable; tiny range and threatened by deforestation and hunting.
African Emerald Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx cupreus) — 20–22 cm. Male: dazzling emerald green above and on breast; yellow belly; red bill. Female: bronze-green above; rufous-barred below. Inhabits primary forest and dense secondary growth across West and Central Africa. Brood parasite targeting sunbirds and other small passerines. Insectivore.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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