Groove-billed Ani vs Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

Crotophaga sulcirostris compared with Hierococcyx bocki

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Groove-billed Ani Dark Hawk-Cuckoo
Scientific Name Crotophaga sulcirostris Hierococcyx bocki
Order Cuculiformes Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae Cuculidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 25.9 cm (10.2 in) 35.9 cm (14.1 in)
Weight 80.3 g (2.83 oz) 137.0 g (4.83 oz)
Diet Insectivore of open country; eats grasshoppers, beetles, and hairy caterpillars. Forages near grazing animals that … --
Clutch Size 3-4 --
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Groove-billed Ani only

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo only

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Song & Call Comparison

Groove-billed Ani

Song

Loud, far-carrying display call; deep hollow notes audible across open European grassland habitat at dawn.

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

Song

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

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Geographic Range & Migration

Groove-billed Ani

Found from southern Texas through Central America to South America. Resident in open country and agricultural areas.

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Groove-billed Ani

Least Concern

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

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How to Tell Them Apart

Groove-billed Ani

Plumage

New Caledonian Bronze-cuckoo: bronze-green above; barred white below; island endemic; red eye; iridescent bronze-green; small size

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

Groove-billed Ani

A medium-sized, all-black cuckoo (30-34 cm) with a grooved bill. Found from southern Texas through Central America to South America. Similar to Smooth-billed Ani but smaller with a smooth-ridged bill. Gregarious; communal nester. Omnivore following livestock for insects.

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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