Bird Guide

Fan-tailed Cuckoo vs Guira Cuckoo

Fan-tailed Cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis)

Fan-tailed Cuckoo

Cacomantis flabelliformis

Small50 gForest

The fan-tailed cuckoo is about 25–27 cm (9.8–10.6 in) long. The fan-tailed cuckoo has a slate-grey head, back and wings, rufous underparts and barred black and white tail. Its eye is surrounded by a yellow orbital eye ring which helps to distinguish it from the smaller and paler brush cuckoo (C. variolosus) and the also smaller chestnut-breasted cuckoo (C. castaneiventris).

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Richard Fuller · CC0
Photo: Damien O'Donnell · CC BY 4.0
Guira Cuckoo (Guira guira)

Guira Cuckoo

Guira guira

Medium141 gUrban

The guira cuckoo has a total length of approximately 34 cm (13 in) and weighs 140 g (4.9 oz). The sexes are very similar in appearance, except that the female is slightly larger than the male. Juveniles appear quite similar to adults. The species has dark brown upperparts streaked with white, and whitish-buff throat, breast, underparts and rump. The tail is relatively long and broad, dark brown in color with a white-tip, and the legs are dark gray. The eyes and beak are yellow to orange, with a thin ring of featherless yellow skin around the eye (this commonly fades in captivity).

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Tim Ross at English Wikipedia · Public domain

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Fan-tailed Cuckoo and Guira Cuckoo.