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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Olive-capped Coua
Song
Loud, harsh resonant call; penetrating notes carrying through tropical forest habitat in South Asia.
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
Olive-capped 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
Olive-capped Coua
Plumage
Pheasant Coucal (Phasianinus): dark black with bronze sheen; rufous wings; barred tail; red eye; ground-dwelling; long barred tail
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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Olive-capped Coua (Coua olivaceiceps) — 40–44 cm. Grey-brown with an olive-grey cap replacing the rufous cap of the related Red-capped Coua; bare blue orbital skin. Inhabits the southern semi-arid zone of Madagascar. Non-parasitic. Omnivore. Sometimes treated as a subspecies of Red-capped Coua.
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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