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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo
Song
Soft, descending whistled phrase; pure notes dropping gently in musical sequence from dense forest cover.
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo
Song
Loud, raucous call with harsh quality; penetrating notes carrying through dense forest in South Asia.
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Geographic Range & Migration
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Conservation Status Comparison
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Conservation Status
Least Concern
Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo
Least Concern
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo
Plumage
Yellow-billed Cuckoo: olive-brown above; white below; yellow bill; rufous wing patches; white-spotted dark tail; North American
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo
Plumage
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo: dark brown above; pale below with dense dark barring; hawk-like; long barred tail; yellow orbital ring; dark morph
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo (Coccyzus pluvialis) — 45–50 cm. Large island cuckoo; brown above; rich chestnut-orange belly; long broad tail. Endemic to Jamaica in forest and woodland. Non-parasitic. Omnivore; eats large insects, lizards, and berries. The largest cuckoo in the Caribbean.
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo (Hierococcyx bocki) — 28–31 cm. Dark grey above; pale below with darker streaking; barred tail. Restricted to montane forest of the Malay Peninsula. Brood parasite. Insectivore. Rare; poorly documented.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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