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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.
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
Song
Soft, ventriloquial whistled phrase; clear pure notes given quietly and deceptively from dense tropical thicket.
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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
Lesser Ground-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
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
Plumage
Greater Roadrunner: boldly streaked brown above; white-cream below with dark streaks; long tail; shaggy crest; bare facial skin; fast runner
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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.
Lesser Ground-cuckoo (Morococcyx erythropygus) — 28 cm. Brown above; chestnut rump; whitish underparts; bare blue orbital skin. Inhabits dry and semi-arid scrub from Mexico to Costa Rica. Non-parasitic; builds its own nest in low shrubs. Runs on the ground hunting large insects, lizards, and amphibians. Monotypic genus endemic to Mesoamerica.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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