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Side-by-Side Comparison

Merkmal	Black Coucal	Dark Hawk-Cuckoo
Wissenschaftlicher Name	Centropus grillii	Hierococcyx bocki
Ordnung	Cuculiformes	Cuculiformes
Familie	Cuculidae	Cuculidae
Erhaltungsstatus	Least Concern	Least Concern
Länge	—	—
Flügelspannweite	32,0 cm (12.6 in)	35,9 cm (14.1 in)
Gewicht	117,66666666666667 g (4.15 oz)	137,0 g (4.83 oz)
Ernährung	--	--
Gelegegröße	3-6	--
Population Trend	—	—

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Habitat Comparison

Gemeinsame Lebensräume

-

Black Coucal only

🌿 Wetland 🌾 Grassland

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo only

🌲 Forest

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Song & Call Comparison

Black Coucal

Gesang

Melodic, flute-like phrase with musical quality; clear rich notes cascading pleasantly from Madagascar forest.

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

Gesang

Loud, raucous call with harsh quality; penetrating notes carrying through dense forest in South Asia.

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Erhaltungsstatus

Least Concern

Black Coucal

Least Concern

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

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How to Tell Them Apart

Black Coucal

Gefieder

Brown Coucal: dark brown above; rufous-brown wings; buff below; long brown tail; orange-red eye; brownish plumage; African species

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

Gefieder

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo: dark brown above; pale below with dense dark barring; hawk-like; long barred tail; yellow orbital ring; dark morph

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About These Birds

Black Coucal

Black Coucal (Centropus grillii) — 30–35 cm. Entirely glossy black with chestnut wings in breeding plumage; non-breeding birds streaked brown. Found in tall grass and reed beds across sub-Saharan Africa. Non-parasitic; notable for reverse sex roles — female larger, male incubates and raises young. Insectivore.

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo

Dark Hawk-Cuckoo (Hierococcyx bocki) — 28–31 cm. Dark grey above; pale below with darker streaking; barred tail. Restricted to montane forest of the Malay Peninsula. Brood parasite. Insectivore. Rare; poorly documented.

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More Birds to Explore

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Guira Cuckoo Guira guira Western Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus Whistling Hawk-Cuckoo Hierococcyx nisicolor White-browed Coucal Centropus superciliosus All Cuculidae birds →

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