Dark Hawk-Cuckoo vs Red-billed Malkoha

Hierococcyx bocki compared with Zanclostomus javanicus

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Dark Hawk-Cuckoo Red-billed Malkoha
Scientific Name Hierococcyx bocki Zanclostomus javanicus
Order Cuculiformes Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae Cuculidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 35.9 cm (14.1 in) 28.8 cm (11.3 in)
Weight 137.0 g (4.83 oz) 115.5 g (4.07 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size -- --
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo only

None

Red-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.

Red-billed Malkoha

Song

Sharp, staccato chip note; clean emphatic sound repeated rhythmically from dense tropical scrub habitat.

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

Least Concern

Red-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

Red-billed Malkoha

Plumage

Olive-capped Coua: olive-green crown; gray body; white below; bare blue facial skin; long graduated tail; Madagascar species; olive cap

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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-billed Malkoha

Red-billed Malkoha (Zanclostomus javanicus) — 38–44 cm. Blue-green above with a rufous belly; bright red bill and bare red orbital skin; long white-tipped tail. Inhabits primary and tall secondary forest of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Java. Non-parasitic. Insectivore feeding on large caterpillars and invertebrates.

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