Dark-billed Cuckoo vs Sulawesi Cuckoo

Coccyzus melacoryphus compared with Cuculus crassirostris

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Dark-billed Cuckoo Sulawesi Cuckoo
Scientific Name Coccyzus melacoryphus Cuculus crassirostris
Order Cuculiformes Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae Cuculidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 23.3 cm (9.2 in) 41.2 cm (16.2 in)
Weight 53.125 g (1.87 oz) 85.0 g (3.00 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 2-4 --
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Dark-billed Cuckoo only

Sulawesi Cuckoo only

Song & Call Comparison

Dark-billed Cuckoo

Song

Loud, harsh raucous call; piercing rough notes carrying powerfully through dense tropical forest. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.

Sulawesi Cuckoo

Song

Loud, raucous call with harsh quality; penetrating notes carrying through dense forest in Asia. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Dark-billed Cuckoo

Least Concern

Sulawesi Cuckoo

How to Tell Them Apart

Dark-billed Cuckoo

Sulawesi Cuckoo

Plumage

Sulawesi Cuckoo: dark gray-brown above; pale below; long dark tail; yellow orbital ring; Sulawesi endemic; larger than most Cuculus

About These Birds

Dark-billed Cuckoo

Dark-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus melacoryphus) — 26–30 cm. Brown above; pale buff below; dark bill without yellow lower mandible; tail with white spots. Widespread from Colombia south to Argentina; migratory populations reach the Galápagos. Non-parasitic. Insectivore; forages in dense vegetation.

Sulawesi Cuckoo

Sulawesi Cuckoo (Cuculus crassirostris) — 30–34 cm. Dark grey above; pale below with bold brown-grey barring; heavier bill than most Cuculus. Endemic to Sulawesi in montane forest. Brood parasite. Insectivore. Poorly known.

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