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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Greater Roadrunner
Chant
Loud, far-carrying call; distinctive resonant notes audible across open terrain with remarkable carrying power.
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
Greater Roadrunner
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
Greater Roadrunner
Plumage
Lesser Roadrunner: brown-streaked above; white-buff below; long streaked tail; shaggy short crest; blue-red facial skin; small roadrunner
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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Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) — 52–62 cm. Streaked brown-and-white; erectile crest; bare red-and-blue post-ocular patch; long tail. Inhabits deserts and chaparral of the southwestern USA and Mexico. Non-parasitic; carnivorous — eats rattlesnakes, lizards, scorpions, and birds. Runs up to 32 km/h; iconic bird of the Sonoran Desert.
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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