Black Cuckoo vs Oriental Cuckoo

Black Cuckoo

Cuculus clamosus

Medium79 gForest

The black cuckoo is a medium-sized cuckoo. The sexes are similar, the plumage varying by subspecies; Cuculus clamosus clamosus has upper parts black glossed with green, slatey-grey wings and black tail tipped with white and sometimes with the outer feathers barred or spotted with white or buff; Cuculus clamosus gabonensis is mostly black with a red throat and black and white barring on the belly.

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Photo: le0p0ld_d · CC BY 4.0

Oriental Cuckoo

Cuculus optatus

Medium99 gForest

It is 30–32 centimetres long with a wingspan of 51–57 centimetres and a weight of 73–156 grams. The adult male has a grey head, breast and upperparts. The belly is creamy-white with dark bars. The vent is frequently buff with few markings. The legs and feet are orange-yellow and there is a bare yellow ring around the eye. Adult females and juveniles occur in two morphs. The grey morph is similar to the male but has a brownish wash on the breast. The rufous morph is reddish-brown above, paler on the underparts and with strong dark bands all over including the rump. The common cuckoo (C.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Licheng Shih · CC BY 4.0

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