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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.
Black-bellied Malkoha
Song
Loud, melodic far-carrying call; rich resonant notes audible impressively through tropical forest. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.
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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
Near Threatened
Black-bellied Malkoha
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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
Black-bellied Malkoha
Plumage
African Yellowbill (Ceuthmochares): yellow bill; olive-brown above; white-buff below; long brown tail; slender; forest species
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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.
Black-bellied Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus diardi) — 36–40 cm. Dark glossy green above; entirely black below; long tail; bare red orbital skin; green bill. Inhabits lowland and foothill forest of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. Non-parasitic. Insectivore.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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