Dark Hawk-Cuckoo vs Channel-billed Cuckoo

Hierococcyx bocki compared with Scythrops novaehollandiae

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Dark Hawk-Cuckoo Channel-billed Cuckoo
Scientific Name Hierococcyx bocki Scythrops novaehollandiae
Order Cuculiformes Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae Cuculidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 35.9 cm (14.1 in) 67.8 cm (26.7 in)
Weight 137.0 g (4.83 oz) 680.5 g (24.00 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size -- 1-5
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo only

None

Channel-billed Cuckoo only

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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.

Channel-billed Cuckoo

Song

Loud, melodic call with musical quality; resonant notes building in pleasant sequence from forest perch.

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

Least Concern

Channel-billed Cuckoo

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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

Channel-billed Cuckoo

Plumage

Little Bronze-cuckoo: small; bronze-green above; barred white below; red eye; iridescent green-bronze; Papuan species; tiny size

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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.

Channel-billed Cuckoo

Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae) — 58–65 cm; wingspan to 100 cm. The world's largest cuckoo; pale grey; enormous decurved horn-coloured bill; bare red orbital skin. Migratory; breeds in Australia and New Guinea; winters in Indonesia. Brood parasite targeting currawongs and magpies. Frugivore; disperses wild figs.

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