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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Pallid Cuckoo
Song
Loud, raucous call with harsh nasal quality; penetrating notes carrying through dense wet forest. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo
Song
Loud, raucous call with harsh quality; penetrating notes carrying through dense forest in South Asia.
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Geographic Range & Migration
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Conservation Status Comparison
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Conservation Status
Least Concern
Pallid Cuckoo
Least Concern
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Pallid Cuckoo
Plumage
Pallid Cuckoo: pale gray-brown above; white-cream below; long graduated gray-brown tail; yellow eye-ring; no barring; plain cuckoo
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo
Plumage
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo: dark brown above; pale below with dense dark barring; hawk-like; long barred tail; yellow orbital ring; dark morph
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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Pallid Cuckoo (Heteroscenes pallidus) — 28–33 cm. Pale grey-brown above; whitish below with faint spotting; graduated tail; yellow orbital ring; notched bill. Widespread across Australia in woodland, open scrub, and grassland. Migratory. Brood parasite targeting a wide range of passerine hosts. Insectivore specialising in hairy caterpillars.
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo (Hierococcyx bocki) — 28–31 cm. Dark grey above; pale below with darker streaking; barred tail. Restricted to montane forest of the Malay Peninsula. Brood parasite. Insectivore. Rare; poorly documented.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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