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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
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.
Red-billed Ground-cuckoo
Chant
Loud, harsh cackling call; piercing raucous notes carrying well across tall dense tropical forest habitat.
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Geographic Range & Migration
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Conservation Status Comparison
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Statut de conservation
Least Concern
African Cuckoo
Least Concern
Red-billed Ground-cuckoo
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
African Cuckoo
Plumage
African Cuckoo: gray above; white below with rufous barring; long dark tail; yellow eye-ring; African migrant similar to Common
Red-billed Ground-cuckoo
Plumage
Goliath Coucal: very large; dark brown above; rich rufous wings; pale buff below; long dark tail; red eye; impressive large size
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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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.
Red-billed Ground-cuckoo (Neomorphus pucheranii) — 46–50 cm. Greenish-brown above; rufous-buff below; bright red decurved bill; bare blue orbital patch. Inhabits dense lowland forest of western Amazonia in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil. Non-parasitic; terrestrial; follows army ants for flushed prey. Insectivore. Secretive and rarely observed.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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