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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.
Thick-billed Cuckoo
Chant
Deep, hollow resonant booming; powerful low notes carrying through dense humid Southeast Asian forest.
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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
Thick-billed 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
Thick-billed Cuckoo
Plumage
Long-tailed Koel: males blue-black; females barred brown; very long tail; red eye; Pacific island koel; strongly dimorphic
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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.
Thick-billed Cuckoo (Pachycoccyx audeberti) — 32–36 cm. Hawk-like; dark brown above; white below with fine dark streaking; thick, strongly curved bill. Inhabits woodland and savanna of East and Central Africa from Tanzania to Malawi and Mozambique. Brood parasite targeting helmet-shrikes (Prionops). Insectivore. Rare and locally distributed.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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