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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute	Black Cuckoo	Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo
Scientific Name	Cuculus clamosus	Neomorphus rufipennis
Order	Cuculiformes	Cuculiformes
Family	Cuculidae	Cuculidae
Conservation Status	Least Concern	Least Concern
Length	—	—
Wingspan	36.2 cm (14.3 in)	34.1 cm (13.4 in)
Weight	86.86666666666667 g (3.06 oz)	381.25 g (13.45 oz)
Diet	--	--
Clutch Size	--	--
Population Trend	—	—

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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

🌲 Forest

Black Cuckoo only

None

Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo only

None

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Song & Call Comparison

Black Cuckoo

Song

Loud, nasal call with bubbling quality; distinctive resonant notes carrying through dense African forest.

Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo

Song

Deep, hollow resonant call; powerful low-frequency sound carrying across dense lowland tropical forest floor.

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Black Cuckoo

Least Concern

Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo

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How to Tell Them Apart

Black Cuckoo

Plumage

Black Cuckoo: all glossy black; red eye; occasionally rufous undertail; slender; long dark tail; sexually monomorphic dark plumage

Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo

Plumage

Pheasant Coucal: dark glossy black head and body; rufous-brown wings; strongly barred dark tail; reddish eye; terrestrial habits

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About These Birds

Black Cuckoo

Black Cuckoo (Cuculus clamosus) — 28–32 cm. Entirely glossy black; slender build; long tail; slightly decurved bill. Inhabits forest, woodland, and dense savanna across sub-Saharan Africa. Brood parasite targeting bulbuls, shrikes, and other passerines. Insectivore; specialises in hairy caterpillars. Identified by its mournful 'I'm so sad' call.

Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo

Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo (Neomorphus rufipennis) — 46–50 cm. Bronze-green above; rufous wing panels; pale buff below. Found in humid forest of Venezuela, Guyana, and northern Brazil. Non-parasitic; follows army ants. Insectivore and small vertebrate predator. Rarely encountered; Near Threatened.

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More Birds to Explore

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