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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Cuban Lizard-cuckoo
Song
Deep, resonant call with hollow quality; powerful low-frequency notes carrying across humid tropical forest.
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
Cuban Lizard-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
Cuban Lizard-cuckoo
Plumage
Dark-billed Cuckoo: dark bill; dark brown above; pale buff below; graduated tail; South American cuckoo; black bill diagnostic
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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Cuban Lizard-cuckoo (Coccyzus merlini) — 38–44 cm. Brown above; pale buff below; bare red orbital skin; long graduated tail with white tips. Endemic to Cuba and nearby islands. Non-parasitic; a specialist predator of lizards (Anolis and others). Also takes large insects.
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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