Dark Hawk-Cuckoo vs Red-faced Malkoha

Hierococcyx bocki compared with Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Dark Hawk-Cuckoo Red-faced Malkoha
Scientific Name Hierococcyx bocki Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus
Order Cuculiformes Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae Cuculidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Vulnerable
Length
Wingspan 35.9 cm (14.1 in) 30.8 cm (12.1 in)
Weight 137.0 g (4.83 oz) 91.9 g (3.24 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size -- 2-3
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo only

None

Red-faced Malkoha only

None

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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.

Red-faced Malkoha

Song

Sharp, far-carrying call with penetrating quality; loud notes audible through tropical scrub habitat.

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

Vulnerable

Red-faced Malkoha

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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

Red-faced Malkoha

Plumage

Giant Coua: large dark blue-gray body; pale below; brilliant bare blue facial skin; long white-tipped dark tail; largest Madagascar coua

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About These Birds

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

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.

Red-faced Malkoha

Red-faced Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus) — 45–48 cm. Dark green above; chestnut-red underparts; vivid scarlet bare facial skin and bill. Endemic to Sri Lanka in wet lowland and foothill forest. Non-parasitic. Insectivore. Vulnerable; dependent on intact forest and threatened by deforestation.

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