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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Andaman Coucal
Chant
Melodic, whistled phrase with clear quality; pure resonant notes carrying across African woodland habitat.
Lesser Coucal
Chant
Loud, raucous call with harsh nasal quality; piercing notes carrying far through dense Madagascar forest.
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Geographic Range & Migration
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Conservation Status Comparison
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Statut de conservation
Least Concern
Andaman Coucal
Least Concern
Lesser Coucal
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Andaman Coucal
Plumage
Chinese Coucal: dark brown above; rufous wings; pale buff below; long dark tail; red eye; streaked in winter plumage; Asian species
Lesser Coucal
Plumage
Black Coucal: all glossy black; red eye; shorter tail; females have rufous wash; strongly sexually dimorphic plumage
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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Andaman Coucal (Centropus andamanensis) — 42–47 cm. Chestnut back and wings; black head and underparts; long graduated tail. Endemic to the Andaman Islands, India, in forest and scrub. Non-parasitic. Omnivore. Previously treated as a subspecies of Greater Coucal.
Lesser Coucal (Centropus bengalensis) — 33–38 cm. Streaked brown above with a rufous wing panel; pale buff underparts; graduated tail. Widespread from India through Southeast Asia and China; inhabits grassland, scrub, and forest edges. Non-parasitic. Insectivore and small vertebrate predator. Smaller and more grass-dwelling than related species.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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