Dark Hawk-Cuckoo vs Green-billed Malkoha

Hierococcyx bocki compared with Phaenicophaeus tristis

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Dark Hawk-Cuckoo Green-billed Malkoha
Scientific Name Hierococcyx bocki Phaenicophaeus tristis
Order Cuculiformes Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae Cuculidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 35.9 cm (14.1 in) 33.1 cm (13.0 in)
Weight 137.0 g (4.83 oz) 121.0 g (4.27 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size -- 2-4
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo only

None

Green-billed 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.

Green-billed Malkoha

Song

Loud, far-carrying call with mellow quality; rich resonant notes given repeatedly from tropical forest.

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

Least Concern

Green-billed 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

Green-billed Malkoha

Plumage

Sirkeer Malkoha: rufous-brown above; pale buff below; large curved yellow-red bill; graduated dark tail; yellow orbital ring; India

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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.

Green-billed Malkoha

Green-billed Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus tristis) — 48–55 cm. One of the largest malkohas; grey-green above; dark grey below; long tail with broad white tips; large curved green bill; bare red orbital skin. Widespread in forest and forest edge from Nepal through Southeast Asia and southern China. Non-parasitic. Insectivore and frugivore.

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