Lesser Ground-cuckoo vs Red-billed Ground-cuckoo
Morococcyx erythropygus compared with Neomorphus pucheranii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lesser Ground-cuckoo | Red-billed Ground-cuckoo |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Morococcyx erythropygus | Neomorphus pucheranii |
| Order | Cuculiformes | Cuculiformes |
| Family | Cuculidae | Cuculidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 19.8 cm (7.8 in) | 33.7 cm (13.3 in) |
| Weight | 66.6 g (2.35 oz) | 330.0 g (11.64 oz) |
| Diet | -- | -- |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
Soft, ventriloquial whistled phrase; clear pure notes given quietly and deceptively from dense tropical thicket.
Red-billed Ground-cuckoo
Loud, harsh cackling call; piercing raucous notes carrying well across tall dense tropical forest habitat.
Conservation Status
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
Red-billed Ground-cuckoo
How to Tell Them Apart
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
Greater Roadrunner: boldly streaked brown above; white-cream below with dark streaks; long tail; shaggy crest; bare facial skin; fast runner
Red-billed Ground-cuckoo
Goliath Coucal: very large; dark brown above; rich rufous wings; pale buff below; long dark tail; red eye; impressive large size
About These Birds
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
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.
Red-billed Ground-cuckoo
Red-billed Ground-cuckoo (Neomorphus pucheranii) — 46–50 cm. Greenish-brown above; rufous-buff below; bright red decurved bill; bare blue orbital patch. Inhabits dense lowland forest of western Amazonia in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil. Non-parasitic; terrestrial; follows army ants for flushed prey. Insectivore. Secretive and rarely observed.