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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Grey-capped Cuckoo
Song
Loud, harsh call with nasal penetrating quality; rough notes carrying through dense forest in Asia. 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
Grey-capped 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
Grey-capped Cuckoo
Plumage
Mangrove Cuckoo: olive-brown above; buff-orange below; long dark spotted tail; yellow bill; black mask; Caribbean-American 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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Grey-capped Cuckoo (Coccyzus lansbergi) — 25–29 cm. Pale grey cap contrasting with brown back; rufous-buff underparts; yellow-based bill; white tail spots. Inhabits dry scrub and forest edge from Colombia and Venezuela south to Peru and Bolivia. Non-parasitic. Insectivore.
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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