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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Lesser Roadrunner
Canto
Loud, call carrying far; distinctive hollow notes audible across dry open Central American terrain. 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
Lesser Roadrunner
Least Concern
Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Lesser Roadrunner
Plumagem
Rufous-vented Ground-cuckoo: rich rufous below; dark olive-brown above; blue orbital ring; rufous vent; long tail; ground dweller
Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo
Plumagem
Pheasant Coucal: dark glossy black head and body; rufous-brown wings; strongly barred dark tail; reddish eye; terrestrial habits
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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Lesser Roadrunner (Geococcyx velox) — 46–52 cm. Similar to Greater Roadrunner but smaller with a more streaked breast. Found in dry scrub, open woodland, and arid valleys from Mexico to Nicaragua. Non-parasitic; carnivorous; eats insects and small vertebrates. Shares the same terrestrial running lifestyle as its northern relative.
Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo (Neomorphus rufipennis) — 46–50 cm. Bronze-green above; rufous wing panels; pale buff below. Found in humid forest of Venezuela, Guyana, and northern Brazil. Non-parasitic; follows army ants. Insectivore and small vertebrate predator. Rarely encountered; Near Threatened.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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