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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Western Koel
Song
Loud, far-carrying nasal call; distinctive penetrating notes audible through dense tropical forest. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.
Thick-billed Cuckoo
Song
Deep, hollow resonant booming; powerful low notes carrying through dense humid Southeast Asian forest.
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Geographic Range & Migration
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Conservation Status Comparison
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Conservation Status
Least Concern
Western Koel
Least Concern
Thick-billed Cuckoo
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Western Koel
Plumage
Shining Bronze-cuckoo: brilliant iridescent golden-green above; white barred below; bronze-green head; reddish eye; small size
Thick-billed Cuckoo
Plumage
Long-tailed Koel: males blue-black; females barred brown; very long tail; red eye; Pacific island koel; strongly dimorphic
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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Western Koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus) — 39–46 cm. Male glossy black; female brown with white spots and barred underparts; red eye. Widespread from South Asia through mainland Southeast Asia. Brood parasite targeting crows and mynas. Frugivore and insectivore. Its rising wailing call heralds the Indian summer.
Thick-billed Cuckoo (Pachycoccyx audeberti) — 32–36 cm. Hawk-like; dark brown above; white below with fine dark streaking; thick, strongly curved bill. Inhabits woodland and savanna of East and Central Africa from Tanzania to Malawi and Mozambique. Brood parasite targeting helmet-shrikes (Prionops). Insectivore. Rare and locally distributed.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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