Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo vs Philippine Drongo-cuckoo

Neomorphus rufipennis compared with Surniculus velutinus

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo Philippine Drongo-cuckoo
Scientific Name Neomorphus rufipennis Surniculus velutinus
Order Cuculiformes Cuculiformes
Family Cuculidae Cuculidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 34.1 cm (13.4 in) 22.2 cm (8.7 in)
Weight 381.25 g (13.45 oz) 38.480000000000004 g (1.36 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size -- --
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo only

None

Philippine Drongo-cuckoo only

None

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Song & Call Comparison

Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo

Song

Deep, hollow resonant call; powerful low-frequency sound carrying across dense lowland tropical forest floor.

Philippine Drongo-cuckoo

Song

Sharp, penetrating whistle; clear emphatic notes carrying through dense forest in Philippines. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo

Least Concern

Philippine Drongo-cuckoo

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How to Tell Them Apart

Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo

Plumage

Pheasant Coucal: dark glossy black head and body; rufous-brown wings; strongly barred dark tail; reddish eye; terrestrial habits

Philippine Drongo-cuckoo

Plumage

Philippine Drongo-cuckoo: glossy black overall; forked tail; drongo-like appearance; pale tip tail; red eye; Philippine endemic

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About These Birds

Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo

Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo (Neomorphus rufipennis) — 46–50 cm. Bronze-green above; rufous wing panels; pale buff below. Found in humid forest of Venezuela, Guyana, and northern Brazil. Non-parasitic; follows army ants. Insectivore and small vertebrate predator. Rarely encountered; Near Threatened.

Philippine Drongo-cuckoo

Philippine Drongo-cuckoo (Surniculus velutinus) — 23–27 cm. Glossy blue-black with white barring on the vent; mimics the forked tail of drongos to deceive hosts; long notched tail. Endemic to the Philippines in forest and forest edge. Brood parasite targeting monarch-flycatchers. Insectivore.

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