Snail-eating Coua vs Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

Coua delalandei compared with Hierococcyx bocki

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Snail-eating Coua Dark Hawk-Cuckoo
Scientific Name Coua delalandei Hierococcyx bocki
Order Cuculiformes Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae Cuculidae
Conservation Status Extinct Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 35.9 cm (14.1 in)
Weight 110.0 g (3.88 oz) 137.0 g (4.83 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size -- --
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Snail-eating Coua only

None

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo only

None

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Song & Call Comparison

Snail-eating Coua

Song

Loud, far-carrying melodic call; rich clear resonant notes audible through tropical forest in Asia. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

Song

Loud, raucous call with harsh quality; penetrating notes carrying through dense forest in South Asia.

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Conservation Status

Extinct

Snail-eating Coua

Least Concern

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

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How to Tell Them Apart

Snail-eating Coua

Plumage

Green Coucal: greenish iridescent gloss overall; rufous wings; pale buff below; long graduated tail; red eye; greenish sheen

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 These Birds

Snail-eating Coua

Snail-eating Coua (Coua delalandei) — ~55 cm. Extinct. Last recorded on Île Sainte-Marie, Madagascar, in the mid-19th century. Large terrestrial cuckoo; purplish-blue and brown plumage; bare blue orbital skin. Presumed a specialist predator of large land snails. Driven to extinction by hunting and introduced predators.

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

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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