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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Burchell's Coucal
Gesang
Loud, raucous call with harsh character; piercing notes carrying impressively through dense humid forest.
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
Gesang
Soft, ventriloquial whistled phrase; clear pure notes given quietly and deceptively from dense tropical thicket.
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Geographic Range & Migration
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Conservation Status Comparison
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Erhaltungsstatus
Not Evaluated
Burchell's Coucal
Least Concern
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Burchell's Coucal
Gefieder
Steere's Coucal: dark brown above with iridescent gloss; rufous wings; pale below; long dark tail; red eye; Philippine island endemic
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
Gefieder
Greater Roadrunner: boldly streaked brown above; white-cream below with dark streaks; long tail; shaggy crest; bare facial skin; fast runner
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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Burchell's Coucal (Centropus burchellii) — 37–42 cm. Chestnut back; black head and tail; white underparts; white supercilium. Inhabits rank grass, forest edge, and gardens of southern Africa. Non-parasitic; builds a large domed nest in dense grass. Omnivore; often known as 'rainbird' because its call is associated with rainy weather.
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.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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