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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Gesang
Loud, far-carrying resonant call; deep musical notes audible impressively through dense tropical forest.
African Cuckoo
Gesang
Loud, far-carrying raucous call; harsh penetrating notes given from tall African forest canopy. 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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Erhaltungsstatus
Least Concern
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Least Concern
African Cuckoo
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Gefieder
Little Cuckoo: small; rich chestnut-rufous above; pale buff below; rufous tail; yellow bill; neotropical squirrel cuckoo group
African Cuckoo
Gefieder
African Cuckoo: gray above; white below with rufous barring; long dark tail; yellow eye-ring; African migrant similar to Common
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) — 27–32 cm. Brown above; white below; yellow lower mandible; rufous wing patches in flight; white-spotted tail. Migratory breeder in North America; winters in South America. Non-parasitic. Insectivore specialising in caterpillars and cicadas. Western population listed as Threatened.
African Cuckoo (Cuculus gularis) — 32–35 cm. Very similar to Common Cuckoo; grey above; barred below; yellow bill base and orbital ring; long tail. Migratory intra-African breeder across sub-Saharan woodland and savanna. Brood parasite primarily targeting fork-tailed drongos. Insectivore.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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