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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Andaman Coucal
Song
Melodic, whistled phrase with clear quality; pure resonant notes carrying across African woodland habitat.
Red-chested Cuckoo
Song
Loud, haunting call with mournful quality; deep resonant notes echoing through dense African forest.
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Geographic Range & Migration
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Conservation Status Comparison
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Conservation Status
Least Concern
Andaman Coucal
Least Concern
Red-chested Cuckoo
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Andaman Coucal
Plumage
Chinese Coucal: dark brown above; rufous wings; pale buff below; long dark tail; red eye; streaked in winter plumage; Asian species
Red-chested Cuckoo
Plumage
Red-chested Cuckoo: gray above; rufous-orange breast; white belly; long dark graduated tail; red eye; bold rufous chest diagnostic
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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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.
Red-chested Cuckoo (Cuculus solitarius) — 28–32 cm. Grey above; orange-rufous breast; barred white belly; long tail; yellow orbital ring. Widespread in forest, woodland, and dense scrub across sub-Saharan Africa. Brood parasite targeting robin-chats and thrushes. Insectivore. Its three-note call — 'piet-my-vrou' in Afrikaans — is iconic.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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