Yellow-billed Cuckoo vs Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

Coccyzus americanus compared with Hierococcyx bocki

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Yellow-billed Cuckoo Dark Hawk-Cuckoo
Scientific Name Coccyzus americanus Hierococcyx bocki
Order Cuculiformes Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae Cuculidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 28.7 cm (11.3 in) 35.9 cm (14.1 in)
Weight 56.73333333333333 g (2.00 oz) 137.0 g (4.83 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 1-5 --
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Yellow-billed Cuckoo only

None

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo only

None

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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.

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

Song

Loud, raucous call with harsh quality; penetrating notes carrying through dense forest in South Asia.

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Least Concern

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

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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

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

Plumage

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo: dark brown above; pale below with dense dark barring; hawk-like; long barred tail; yellow orbital ring; dark morph

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About These Birds

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

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.

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo (Hierococcyx bocki) — 28–31 cm. Dark grey above; pale below with darker streaking; barred tail. Restricted to montane forest of the Malay Peninsula. Brood parasite. Insectivore. Rare; poorly documented.

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