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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Pheasant Cuckoo
Chant
Deep, guttural croaking call; resonant low notes carrying across open South American tropical forest edge.
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
Pheasant 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
Pheasant Cuckoo
Plumage
Dromococcyx pheasant cuckoo: richly barred rufous and brown above; pale buff below; long graduated rufous-barred tail; peacock-eye pattern
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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Pheasant Cuckoo (Dromococcyx phasianellus) — 35–40 cm. Streaked brown; long graduated rufous tail barred black; pale buff below. Humid tropical forest from Mexico to Bolivia and Brazil. Brood parasite targeting antbirds and small passerines. Skulking; rarely observed despite its loud whistled song. 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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