Andaman Coucal vs Lesser Cuckoo

Centropus andamanensis compared with Cuculus poliocephalus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Andaman Coucal Lesser Cuckoo
Scientific Name Centropus andamanensis Cuculus poliocephalus
Order Cuculiformes Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae Cuculidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 34.5 cm (13.6 in) 30.8 cm (12.1 in)
Weight 199.0 g (7.02 oz) 51.5 g (1.82 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 2-3 --
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Andaman Coucal only

Lesser Cuckoo only

None

Song & Call Comparison

Andaman Coucal

Song

Melodic, whistled phrase with clear quality; pure resonant notes carrying across African woodland habitat.

Lesser Cuckoo

Song

Loud, far-carrying call; penetrating resonant notes given repeatedly from dense African forest canopy.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Andaman Coucal

Least Concern

Lesser Cuckoo

How to Tell Them Apart

Andaman Coucal

Lesser Cuckoo

Plumage

Lesser Cuckoo: gray above; white below with rufous barring; slender; long dark tail; yellow eye-ring; smaller than Common Cuckoo

About These Birds

Andaman Coucal

Andaman Coucal (Centropus andamanensis) — 42–47 cm. Chestnut back and wings; black head and underparts; long graduated tail. Endemic to the Andaman Islands, India, in forest and scrub. Non-parasitic. Omnivore. Previously treated as a subspecies of Greater Coucal.

Lesser Cuckoo

Lesser Cuckoo (Cuculus poliocephalus) — 25–28 cm. Grey above; whitish below with black barring; yellow orbital ring; long tail. Migratory; breeds across South and East Asia from Afghanistan to Japan; winters to East Africa and South Asia. Brood parasite targeting warblers. Insectivore.

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