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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Dark-billed Cuckoo
Chant
Loud, harsh raucous call; piercing rough notes carrying powerfully through dense tropical forest. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.
African Cuckoo
Chant
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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Statut de conservation
Least Concern
Dark-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
Dark-billed Cuckoo
Plumage
Striped Cuckoo (Tapera): white below with dark streaks; boldly streaked brown above; long white-tipped tail; pale supercilium; slim
African Cuckoo
Plumage
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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Dark-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus melacoryphus) — 26–30 cm. Brown above; pale buff below; dark bill without yellow lower mandible; tail with white spots. Widespread from Colombia south to Argentina; migratory populations reach the Galápagos. Non-parasitic. Insectivore; forages in dense vegetation.
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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