Harsh, far-carrying call with raucous quality; loud rough notes carrying through dense tropical forest.
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Geographic Range & Migration
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Conservation Status Comparison
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Erhaltungsstatus
Least Concern
Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo
Least Concern
Common Squirrel-cuckoo
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo
Gefieder
Pheasant Coucal: dark glossy black head and body; rufous-brown wings; strongly barred dark tail; reddish eye; terrestrial habits
Common Squirrel-cuckoo
Gefieder
Great Spotted Cuckoo: gray above with white spots; pale below; long white-spotted dark tail; long pale crest; European migrant
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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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.
Common Squirrel-cuckoo (Piaya cayana) — 40–50 cm. Brilliant rufous-chestnut above and on breast; grey belly; yellow-green bill; very long tail with bold black-and-white tips. Widespread in forest and forest edge from Mexico to Bolivia and Argentina. Non-parasitic. Insectivore; agile forager in tree canopy catching large insects and caterpillars.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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