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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute	African Cuckoo	Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo
Scientific Name	Cuculus gularis	Neomorphus rufipennis
Order	Cuculiformes	Cuculiformes
Family	Cuculidae	Cuculidae
Conservation Status	Least Concern	Least Concern
Length	—	—
Wingspan	41.8 cm (16.5 in)	34.1 cm (13.4 in)
Weight	105.0 g (3.70 oz)	381.25 g (13.45 oz)
Diet	--	--
Clutch Size	--	--
Population Trend	—	—

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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

🌲 Forest

African Cuckoo only

None

Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo only

None

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Song & Call Comparison

African Cuckoo

Song

Loud, far-carrying raucous call; harsh penetrating notes given from tall African forest canopy. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.

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

African Cuckoo

Least Concern

Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo

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How to Tell Them Apart

African Cuckoo

Plumage

African Cuckoo: gray above; white below with rufous barring; long dark tail; yellow eye-ring; African migrant similar to Common

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

African Cuckoo

African Cuckoo (Cuculus gularis) — 32–35 cm. Very similar to Common Cuckoo; grey above; barred below; yellow bill base and orbital ring; long tail. Migratory intra-African breeder across sub-Saharan woodland and savanna. Brood parasite primarily targeting fork-tailed drongos. Insectivore.

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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