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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute	Cuban Lizard-cuckoo	Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo
Scientific Name	Coccyzus merlini	Neomorphus rufipennis
Order	Cuculiformes	Cuculiformes
Family	Cuculidae	Cuculidae
Conservation Status	Least Concern	Least Concern
Length	—	—
Wingspan	35.6 cm (14.0 in)	34.1 cm (13.4 in)
Weight	172.16666666666666 g (6.07 oz)	381.25 g (13.45 oz)
Diet	--	--
Clutch Size	2-3	--
Population Trend	—	—

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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

🌲 Forest

Cuban Lizard-cuckoo only

None

Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo only

None

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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.

Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo

Song

Deep, hollow resonant call; powerful low-frequency sound carrying across dense lowland tropical forest floor.

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Cuban Lizard-cuckoo

Least Concern

Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo

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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

Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo

Plumage

Pheasant Coucal: dark glossy black head and body; rufous-brown wings; strongly barred dark tail; reddish eye; terrestrial habits

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About These Birds

Cuban Lizard-cuckoo

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.

Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo

Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo (Neomorphus rufipennis) — 46–50 cm. Bronze-green above; rufous wing panels; pale buff below. Found in humid forest of Venezuela, Guyana, and northern Brazil. Non-parasitic; follows army ants. Insectivore and small vertebrate predator. Rarely encountered; Near Threatened.

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More Birds to Explore

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