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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Mangrove Cuckoo
Song
Harsh, penetrating call with raucous quality; loud rough notes carrying through dense forest habitat.
Western Koel
Song
Loud, far-carrying nasal call; distinctive penetrating notes audible through dense tropical forest. 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
Mangrove Cuckoo
Least Concern
Western Koel
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Mangrove Cuckoo
Plumage
Squirrel Cuckoo (Piaya): rich rufous-brown above; pale buff below; long graduated rufous tail; yellow orbital ring; neotropical
Western Koel
Plumage
Shining Bronze-cuckoo: brilliant iridescent golden-green above; white barred below; bronze-green head; reddish eye; small size
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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Mangrove Cuckoo (Coccyzus minor) — 28–32 cm. Brown above; buffy-orange wash on breast and belly; yellow lower mandible; long tail with white spots. Inhabits mangroves, tropical hammocks, and scrub from Florida and the Caribbean to northern South America. Non-parasitic. Insectivore feeding on caterpillars and invertebrates.
Western Koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus) — 39–46 cm. Male glossy black; female brown with white spots and barred underparts; red eye. Widespread from South Asia through mainland Southeast Asia. Brood parasite targeting crows and mynas. Frugivore and insectivore. Its rising wailing call heralds the Indian summer.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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