Black-billed Koel vs Lesser Roadrunner

Eudynamys melanorhynchus compared with Geococcyx velox

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Black-billed Koel Lesser Roadrunner
Scientific Name Eudynamys melanorhynchus Geococcyx velox
Order Cuculiformes Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae Cuculidae
Conservation Status Not Evaluated Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 28.3 cm (11.1 in)
Weight 199.875 g (7.05 oz) 184.1 g (6.49 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size -- 2-3
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Black-billed Koel only

Lesser Roadrunner only

None

Song & Call Comparison

Black-billed Koel

Song

Loud, resonant call with musical quality; rich carrying notes given from tall forest tree in Borneo.

Lesser Roadrunner

Song

Loud, call carrying far; distinctive hollow notes audible across dry open Central American terrain. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.

Conservation Status

Not Evaluated

Black-billed Koel

Least Concern

Lesser Roadrunner

About These Birds

Black-billed Koel

Black-billed Koel (Eudynamys melanorhynchus) — 38–44 cm. Male glossy black with a dark bill (unlike related koels with pale bills); female similar to Western Koel female. Endemic to Sulawesi and Sula Islands in Indonesia. Brood parasite; hosts include corvids. Frugivore and insectivore.

Lesser Roadrunner

Lesser Roadrunner (Geococcyx velox) — 46–52 cm. Similar to Greater Roadrunner but smaller with a more streaked breast. Found in dry scrub, open woodland, and arid valleys from Mexico to Nicaragua. Non-parasitic; carnivorous; eats insects and small vertebrates. Shares the same terrestrial running lifestyle as its northern relative.

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