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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo
Song
Loud, raucous call with harsh quality; penetrating notes carrying through dense forest in South Asia.
Whistling Hawk-Cuckoo
Song
Loud, raucous call; harsh penetrating notes building in rapid excited sequence from forest perch. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.
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Geographic Range & Migration
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Conservation Status Comparison
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Conservation Status
Least Concern
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo
Least Concern
Whistling Hawk-Cuckoo
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
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
Whistling Hawk-Cuckoo
Plumage
Whistling Hawk-Cuckoo: gray-brown above; pale below with rufous barring; hawk-mimic; long barred tail; yellow eye-ring; distinctive whistle
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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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.
Whistling Hawk-Cuckoo (Hierococcyx nisicolor) — 28–31 cm. Grey-brown above; pale below with rufous streaking; barred tail. Inhabits montane forest from the eastern Himalayas through Southeast Asia to China. Brood parasite. Insectivore. Named for its loud, persistent whistle.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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