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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
Song
Soft, ventriloquial whistled phrase; clear pure notes given quietly and deceptively from dense tropical thicket.
Rufous-vented Ground-cuckoo
Song
Deep, hollow booming call; resonant bass notes carrying surprisingly far across dense tropical forest floor.
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Geographic Range & Migration
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Conservation Status Comparison
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Conservation Status
Least Concern
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
Vulnerable
Rufous-vented Ground-cuckoo
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
Plumage
Greater Roadrunner: boldly streaked brown above; white-cream below with dark streaks; long tail; shaggy crest; bare facial skin; fast runner
Rufous-vented Ground-cuckoo
Plumage
Scaled Ground-cuckoo: pale buff below with dark scaling; brown above; blue orbital skin; long tail; banded underparts; runs on ground
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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Lesser Ground-cuckoo (Morococcyx erythropygus) — 28 cm. Brown above; chestnut rump; whitish underparts; bare blue orbital skin. Inhabits dry and semi-arid scrub from Mexico to Costa Rica. Non-parasitic; builds its own nest in low shrubs. Runs on the ground hunting large insects, lizards, and amphibians. Monotypic genus endemic to Mesoamerica.
Rufous-vented Ground-cuckoo (Neomorphus geoffroyi) — 46–50 cm. Bronzy-brown above; buff below; rufous vent; bare blue facial skin; decurved bill. Inhabits humid lowland forest from Mexico to South America. Non-parasitic; follows army ant swarms to catch flushed prey. Rare and secretive. Insectivore.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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