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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Running Coua
Song
Loud, shrill call with penetrating quality; high resonant notes carrying powerfully through dense forest.
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
Running Coua
Least Concern
Western Koel
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Running Coua
Plumage
Sumatran Ground-cuckoo: dark glossy green above; rufous-buff below; blue facial skin; long tail; heavy curved bill; Sumatran endemic
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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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.
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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