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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.
Moluccan Drongo-cuckoo
Song
Loud, far-carrying resonant call; deep hollow notes carrying through dense humid forest in Southeast Asia.
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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
Least Concern
Moluccan Drongo-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
Moluccan Drongo-cuckoo
Plumage
Moluccan Drongo-cuckoo: glossy black overall; drongo-like forked tail; pale tail tips; red eye; Moluccas island endemic drongo-cuckoo
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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.
Moluccan Drongo-cuckoo (Surniculus musschenbroeki) — 24–27 cm. Glossy black; deeply forked tail; white vent barring. Endemic to the Moluccas and Sulawesi, Indonesia. Inhabits forest and forest edge. Brood parasite. Insectivore. Poorly studied.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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