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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.
Common Cuckoo
Chant
Loud, far-carrying iconic call; descending cuckoo notes audible at great distance across European landscape.
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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
Common Cuckoo
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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
Common Cuckoo
Plumage
Common Cuckoo: gray above; white below with rufous barring; long dark graduated tail; yellow eye-ring; brood parasite; widespread
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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.
Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) — 32–34 cm. Grey above; white below with black barring; pointed wings; yellow orbital ring; long tail. Palearctic breeder from Britain to Japan; winters in sub-Saharan Africa. Brood parasite targeting 100+ host species. Insectivore specialising in hairy caterpillars. The quintessential herald of European spring.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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