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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
鸣唱
Soft, ventriloquial whistled phrase; clear pure notes given quietly and deceptively from dense tropical thicket.
Philippine Drongo-cuckoo
鸣唱
Sharp, penetrating whistle; clear emphatic notes carrying through dense forest in Philippines. 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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保护状况
Least Concern
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
Least Concern
Philippine Drongo-cuckoo
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
羽毛
Greater Roadrunner: boldly streaked brown above; white-cream below with dark streaks; long tail; shaggy crest; bare facial skin; fast runner
Philippine Drongo-cuckoo
羽毛
Philippine Drongo-cuckoo: glossy black overall; forked tail; drongo-like appearance; pale tip tail; red eye; Philippine endemic
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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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.
Philippine Drongo-cuckoo (Surniculus velutinus) — 23–27 cm. Glossy blue-black with white barring on the vent; mimics the forked tail of drongos to deceive hosts; long notched tail. Endemic to the Philippines in forest and forest edge. Brood parasite targeting monarch-flycatchers. Insectivore.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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