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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Red-crested Malkoha
Song
Sharp, rising whistled phrase; clean ascending notes with emphatic quality from tropical forest perch.
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
Red-crested Malkoha
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
Red-crested Malkoha
Plumage
Raffles's Malkoha: green above; pale buff below; red-tipped bill; bare red orbital skin; long graduated dark tail; southeast Asia
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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Red-crested Malkoha (Dasylophus superciliosus) — 40–44 cm. Dark green above; rufous below; prominent red crest; bare red orbital ring; long white-tipped tail. Endemic to the Philippines (Luzon, Samar, Leyte). Inhabits primary and secondary forest. Non-parasitic. 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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