Sulawesi Cuckoo vs Pallid Cuckoo

Cuculus crassirostris compared with Heteroscenes pallidus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Sulawesi Cuckoo Pallid Cuckoo
Scientific Name Cuculus crassirostris Heteroscenes pallidus
Order Cuculiformes Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae Cuculidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 41.2 cm (16.2 in) 37.2 cm (14.6 in)
Weight 85.0 g (3.00 oz) 90.5 g (3.19 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size -- --
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Sulawesi Cuckoo only

None

Pallid Cuckoo only

Song & Call Comparison

Sulawesi Cuckoo

Song

Loud, raucous call with harsh quality; penetrating notes carrying through dense forest in Asia. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.

Pallid Cuckoo

Song

Loud, raucous call with harsh nasal quality; penetrating notes carrying through dense wet forest. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Sulawesi Cuckoo

Least Concern

Pallid Cuckoo

How to Tell Them Apart

Sulawesi Cuckoo

Plumage

Sulawesi Cuckoo: dark gray-brown above; pale below; long dark tail; yellow orbital ring; Sulawesi endemic; larger than most Cuculus

Pallid Cuckoo

Plumage

Pallid Cuckoo: pale gray-brown above; white-cream below; long graduated gray-brown tail; yellow eye-ring; no barring; plain cuckoo

About These Birds

Sulawesi Cuckoo

Sulawesi Cuckoo (Cuculus crassirostris) — 30–34 cm. Dark grey above; pale below with bold brown-grey barring; heavier bill than most Cuculus. Endemic to Sulawesi in montane forest. Brood parasite. Insectivore. Poorly known.

Pallid Cuckoo

Pallid Cuckoo (Heteroscenes pallidus) — 28–33 cm. Pale grey-brown above; whitish below with faint spotting; graduated tail; yellow orbital ring; notched bill. Widespread across Australia in woodland, open scrub, and grassland. Migratory. Brood parasite targeting a wide range of passerine hosts. Insectivore specialising in hairy caterpillars.

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