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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.
Large Hawk-Cuckoo
Song
Loud, far-carrying call; powerful resonant notes carrying across dense forest in South Asia. 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
Large 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
Large Hawk-Cuckoo
Plumage
Large Hawk-Cuckoo: gray-brown above; white below with rufous streaking; hawk-like; long tail; yellow eye-ring; large size; streaked
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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.
Large Hawk-Cuckoo (Hierococcyx sparverioides) — 38–42 cm. The largest hawk-cuckoo; grey above; whitish below with heavy rufous streaking; barred tail. Inhabits forest and forest edge from the Himalayas through Southeast Asia and China. Migratory. Brood parasite. Insectivore. Famous for its 'brain-fever' call accelerating to a frenzied pitch.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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