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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Red-capped Coua
Song
Loud, harsh call with nasal quality; penetrating notes carrying through dense tropical forest habitat.
African Cuckoo
Song
Loud, far-carrying raucous call; harsh penetrating notes given from tall African forest canopy. 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
Red-capped Coua
Least Concern
African Cuckoo
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Red-capped Coua
Plumage
Spot-winged Coucal: dark brown above with spotted wing coverts; rufous wings; pale below; long dark tail; red eye; spotted wings
African Cuckoo
Plumage
African Cuckoo: gray above; white below with rufous barring; long dark tail; yellow eye-ring; African migrant similar to Common
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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Red-capped Coua (Coua ruficeps) — 39–42 cm. Grey body with a distinctive rufous-red cap; bare blue orbital skin; long white-tipped tail. Found in the western and northern deciduous forests and scrub of Madagascar. Non-parasitic. Omnivore. Fairly common within suitable dry-forest habitat.
African Cuckoo (Cuculus gularis) — 32–35 cm. Very similar to Common Cuckoo; grey above; barred below; yellow bill base and orbital ring; long tail. Migratory intra-African breeder across sub-Saharan woodland and savanna. Brood parasite primarily targeting fork-tailed drongos. Insectivore.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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