Ash-colored Cuckoo vs Lesser Roadrunner

Coccycua cinerea compared with Geococcyx velox

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Ash-colored Cuckoo Lesser Roadrunner
Scientific Name Coccycua cinerea Geococcyx velox
Order Cuculiformes Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae Cuculidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 22.0 cm (8.7 in) 28.3 cm (11.1 in)
Weight 43.760000000000005 g (1.54 oz) 184.1 g (6.49 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 2-4 2-3
Population Trend

Song & Call Comparison

Ash-colored Cuckoo

Song

Loud, far-carrying melodic call; rich resonant notes given from tall forest tree in Southeast Asia. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.

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

Ash-colored Cuckoo

Least Concern

Lesser Roadrunner

About These Birds

Ash-colored Cuckoo

Ash-colored Cuckoo (Coccycua cinerea) — 22–25 cm. Grey above; paler grey below; tail with white-tipped feathers; slim bill. Inhabits scrub, thorny forest, and dense secondary growth across southern South America from Bolivia and Brazil to Argentina. Non-parasitic. Insectivore.

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

Explore the Nature FYI Family