Running Coua vs Sulawesi Cuckoo

Coua cursor compared with Cuculus crassirostris

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Running Coua Sulawesi Cuckoo
Scientific Name Coua cursor Cuculus crassirostris
Order Cuculiformes Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae Cuculidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 26.3 cm (10.4 in) 41.2 cm (16.2 in)
Weight 110.5 g (3.90 oz) 85.0 g (3.00 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 2 --
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Running Coua only

Sulawesi Cuckoo only

Song & Call Comparison

Running Coua

Song

Loud, shrill call with penetrating quality; high resonant notes carrying powerfully through dense forest.

Sulawesi Cuckoo

Song

Loud, raucous call with harsh quality; penetrating notes carrying through dense forest in Asia. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Running Coua

Least Concern

Sulawesi Cuckoo

How to Tell Them Apart

Running Coua

Sulawesi Cuckoo

Plumage

Sulawesi Cuckoo: dark gray-brown above; pale below; long dark tail; yellow orbital ring; Sulawesi endemic; larger than most Cuculus

About These Birds

Running Coua

Running Coua (Coua cursor) — 38–42 cm. Pale grey-brown above; whitish below; bare blue-and-red orbital skin; long tail held upright; strongly terrestrial. Restricted to the arid south and southwest of Madagascar in sandy scrub and dry thicket. Non-parasitic; runs rapidly across open ground. Omnivore.

Sulawesi Cuckoo

Sulawesi Cuckoo (Cuculus crassirostris) — 30–34 cm. Dark grey above; pale below with bold brown-grey barring; heavier bill than most Cuculus. Endemic to Sulawesi in montane forest. Brood parasite. Insectivore. Poorly known.

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