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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Jamaican Lizard-cuckoo
Canto
Loud, far-carrying resonant call with melodic quality; clear rich notes given from tall forest tree.
African Cuckoo
Canto
Loud, far-carrying raucous call; harsh penetrating notes given from tall African forest canopy. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.
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Geographic Range & Migration
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Conservation Status Comparison
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Estado de conservação
Least Concern
Jamaican Lizard-cuckoo
Least Concern
African Cuckoo
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Jamaican Lizard-cuckoo
Plumagem
Black-billed Cuckoo: olive-brown above; white below; black bill; long dark tail; white-buff tipped tail; North American migrant
African Cuckoo
Plumagem
African Cuckoo: gray above; white below with rufous barring; long dark tail; yellow eye-ring; African migrant similar to Common
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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Jamaican Lizard-cuckoo (Coccyzus vetula) — 37–42 cm. Brown above; cinnamon-buff underparts; long tail with bold white tips; bare red orbital skin. Endemic to Jamaica in forest and wooded scrub. Non-parasitic; specialised lizard hunter, hence the name. Also eats large insects and small vertebrates.
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.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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