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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Pearly-breasted Cuckoo
Song
Loud, melodic call with clear quality; rich resonant notes carrying far through tropical forest. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.
African Cuckoo
Song
Loud, far-carrying raucous call; harsh penetrating notes given from tall African forest canopy. 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
Pearly-breasted Cuckoo
Least Concern
African Cuckoo
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Pearly-breasted Cuckoo
Plumage
Dwarf Cuckoo: smallest; rufous-brown above; pale buff below; rufous tail; yellow bill; smallest neotropical cuckoo species
African Cuckoo
Plumage
African Cuckoo: gray above; white below with rufous barring; long dark tail; yellow eye-ring; African migrant similar to Common
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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Pearly-breasted Cuckoo (Coccyzus euleri) — 26–30 cm. Brown above; white below with a faint pearly sheen; yellow lower mandible; tail with white spots. Inhabits forest and forest edge in northern and central South America. Non-parasitic. Insectivore. Partially migratory; less studied than its North American relatives.
African Cuckoo (Cuculus gularis) — 32–35 cm. Very similar to Common Cuckoo; grey above; barred below; yellow bill base and orbital ring; long tail. Migratory intra-African breeder across sub-Saharan woodland and savanna. Brood parasite primarily targeting fork-tailed drongos. Insectivore.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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