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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
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.
Running Coua
Song
Loud, shrill call with penetrating quality; high resonant notes carrying powerfully through dense forest.
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Geographic Range & Migration
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Conservation Status Comparison
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Conservation Status
Least Concern
African Emerald Cuckoo
Least Concern
Running Coua
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
African Emerald Cuckoo
Plumage
New Caledonian Bronze-cuckoo: bronze-green above; barred white below; island endemic; red eye; iridescent bronze-green; small size
Running Coua
Plumage
Sumatran Ground-cuckoo: dark glossy green above; rufous-buff below; blue facial skin; long tail; heavy curved bill; Sumatran endemic
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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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.
Running Coua (Coua cursor) — 38–42 cm. Pale grey-brown above; whitish below; bare blue-and-red orbital skin; long tail held upright; strongly terrestrial. Restricted to the arid south and southwest of Madagascar in sandy scrub and dry thicket. Non-parasitic; runs rapidly across open ground. Omnivore.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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