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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Lesser Cuckoo
Song
Loud, far-carrying call; penetrating resonant notes given repeatedly from dense African forest canopy.
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
Song
Soft, ventriloquial whistled phrase; clear pure notes given quietly and deceptively from dense tropical thicket.
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Geographic Range & Migration
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Conservation Status Comparison
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Conservation Status
Least Concern
Lesser Cuckoo
Least Concern
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Lesser Cuckoo
Plumage
Lesser Cuckoo: gray above; white below with rufous barring; slender; long dark tail; yellow eye-ring; smaller than Common Cuckoo
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
Plumage
Greater Roadrunner: boldly streaked brown above; white-cream below with dark streaks; long tail; shaggy crest; bare facial skin; fast runner
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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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.
Lesser Ground-cuckoo (Morococcyx erythropygus) — 28 cm. Brown above; chestnut rump; whitish underparts; bare blue orbital skin. Inhabits dry and semi-arid scrub from Mexico to Costa Rica. Non-parasitic; builds its own nest in low shrubs. Runs on the ground hunting large insects, lizards, and amphibians. Monotypic genus endemic to Mesoamerica.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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