Sulawesi Cuckoo vs Thick-billed Cuckoo

Cuculus crassirostris compared with Pachycoccyx audeberti

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Sulawesi Cuckoo Thick-billed Cuckoo
Scientific Name Cuculus crassirostris Pachycoccyx audeberti
Order Cuculiformes Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae Cuculidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 41.2 cm (16.2 in) 44.1 cm (17.4 in)
Weight 85.0 g (3.00 oz) 104.0 g (3.67 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size -- --
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Sulawesi Cuckoo only

None

Thick-billed Cuckoo only

None

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.

Thick-billed Cuckoo

Song

Deep, hollow resonant booming; powerful low notes carrying through dense humid Southeast Asian forest.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Sulawesi Cuckoo

Least Concern

Thick-billed 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

Thick-billed 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.

Thick-billed Cuckoo

Thick-billed Cuckoo (Pachycoccyx audeberti) — 32–36 cm. Hawk-like; dark brown above; white below with fine dark streaking; thick, strongly curved bill. Inhabits woodland and savanna of East and Central Africa from Tanzania to Malawi and Mozambique. Brood parasite targeting helmet-shrikes (Prionops). Insectivore. Rare and locally distributed.

More Birds to Explore

Explore the Nature FYI Family