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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Song
Loud, far-carrying resonant call; deep musical notes audible impressively through dense tropical forest.
Western Koel
Song
Loud, far-carrying nasal call; distinctive penetrating notes audible 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
Least Concern
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Least Concern
Western Koel
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Plumage
Little Cuckoo: small; rich chestnut-rufous above; pale buff below; rufous tail; yellow bill; neotropical squirrel cuckoo group
Western Koel
Plumage
Shining Bronze-cuckoo: brilliant iridescent golden-green above; white barred below; bronze-green head; reddish eye; small size
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) — 27–32 cm. Brown above; white below; yellow lower mandible; rufous wing patches in flight; white-spotted tail. Migratory breeder in North America; winters in South America. Non-parasitic. Insectivore specialising in caterpillars and cicadas. Western population listed as Threatened.
Western Koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus) — 39–46 cm. Male glossy black; female brown with white spots and barred underparts; red eye. Widespread from South Asia through mainland Southeast Asia. Brood parasite targeting crows and mynas. Frugivore and insectivore. Its rising wailing call heralds the Indian summer.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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