Sulawesi Cuckoo vs Black-bellied Cuckoo

Cuculus crassirostris compared with Piaya melanogaster

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Sulawesi Cuckoo Black-bellied Cuckoo
Scientific Name Cuculus crassirostris Piaya melanogaster
Order Cuculiformes Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae Cuculidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length — —
Wingspan 41.2 cm (16.2 in) 27.0 cm (10.6 in)
Weight 85.0 g (3.00 oz) 102.4 g (3.61 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size -- --
Population Trend — —

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Sulawesi Cuckoo only

None

Black-bellied 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.

Black-bellied Cuckoo

Song

Loud, resonant call with nasal quality; carrying notes given from forest perch in Southeast Asia. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Sulawesi Cuckoo

Least Concern

Black-bellied 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

Black-bellied 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.

Black-bellied Cuckoo

Black-bellied Cuckoo (Piaya melanogaster) — 35–40 cm. Rufous above; jet-black belly; greenish bill; long tail. Inhabits humid Amazonian forest and tall secondary growth. Non-parasitic. Insectivore; forages in the mid-storey and canopy. Less common than the Squirrel Cuckoo; restricted to lowland Amazonia.

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