African Cuckoo vs Madagascar Cuckoo: How to Tell Them Apart

African Cuckoo

Cuculus gularis

Medium103 gShrubland

This is a medium-sized species with a long tail, with a total length of 32 cm (13 in). Its dashing flight makes it resemble a bird of prey. The sexes are similar, the head, upper parts and wings being dark grey, the throat and breast pale grey and the belly white barred with dark grey. The tail is dark grey with dark barring and a white tip. The eye is yellow in the male and light brown in the female. The beak is yellow, tipped with black or horn. The legs and feet are yellowish.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recorded by paulo kivuyo · Call · kikatiti, Meru, Arusha Region, Tanzania · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: (c) Nigel Voaden, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by

Madagascar Cuckoo

Cuculus rochii

Medium63 gForest

The Madagascar cuckoo is a small, slim cuckoo, measuring 28 cm (11 in) in length.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Лариса Артемьева · CC0

Where you might meet both

South Africa Tanzania Zimbabwe

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: African Cuckoo and Madagascar Cuckoo.