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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Grey-capped Cuckoo
Chant
Loud, harsh call with nasal penetrating quality; rough notes carrying through dense forest in Asia. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
Chant
Soft, ventriloquial whistled phrase; clear pure notes given quietly and deceptively from dense tropical thicket.
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Geographic Range & Migration
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Conservation Status Comparison
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Statut de conservation
Least Concern
Grey-capped Cuckoo
Least Concern
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Grey-capped Cuckoo
Plumage
Mangrove Cuckoo: olive-brown above; buff-orange below; long dark spotted tail; yellow bill; black mask; Caribbean-American species
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
Plumage
Greater Roadrunner: boldly streaked brown above; white-cream below with dark streaks; long tail; shaggy crest; bare facial skin; fast runner
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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Grey-capped Cuckoo (Coccyzus lansbergi) — 25–29 cm. Pale grey cap contrasting with brown back; rufous-buff underparts; yellow-based bill; white tail spots. Inhabits dry scrub and forest edge from Colombia and Venezuela south to Peru and Bolivia. Non-parasitic. Insectivore.
Lesser Ground-cuckoo (Morococcyx erythropygus) — 28 cm. Brown above; chestnut rump; whitish underparts; bare blue orbital skin. Inhabits dry and semi-arid scrub from Mexico to Costa Rica. Non-parasitic; builds its own nest in low shrubs. Runs on the ground hunting large insects, lizards, and amphibians. Monotypic genus endemic to Mesoamerica.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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