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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Red-chested Cuckoo
Chant
Loud, haunting call with mournful quality; deep resonant notes echoing through dense African forest.
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo
Chant
Loud, raucous call with harsh quality; penetrating notes carrying through dense forest in South Asia.
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Geographic Range & Migration
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Conservation Status Comparison
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Statut de conservation
Least Concern
Red-chested Cuckoo
Least Concern
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Red-chested Cuckoo
Plumage
Red-chested Cuckoo: gray above; rufous-orange breast; white belly; long dark graduated tail; red eye; bold rufous chest diagnostic
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo
Plumage
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo: dark brown above; pale below with dense dark barring; hawk-like; long barred tail; yellow orbital ring; dark morph
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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Red-chested Cuckoo (Cuculus solitarius) — 28–32 cm. Grey above; orange-rufous breast; barred white belly; long tail; yellow orbital ring. Widespread in forest, woodland, and dense scrub across sub-Saharan Africa. Brood parasite targeting robin-chats and thrushes. Insectivore. Its three-note call — 'piet-my-vrou' in Afrikaans — is iconic.
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo (Hierococcyx bocki) — 28–31 cm. Dark grey above; pale below with darker streaking; barred tail. Restricted to montane forest of the Malay Peninsula. Brood parasite. Insectivore. Rare; poorly documented.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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