Pavonine Cuckoo vs Pheasant Cuckoo

Pavonine Cuckoo

Dromococcyx pavoninus

Small46 gForest

The head and crest of this bird is rusty brown and the remaining plumage is mainly dark brown above and paler below, with a rich buff coloured supercilium, throat and breast. It is similar in appearance to the pheasant cuckoo but has a slightly different call and is larger overall. Additionally, the buff supercilium, throat and breast of the pheasant cuckoo is paler than in the pavonine cuckoo and the throat and breast of the pheasant cuckoo are heavily marked while those areas of the pavonine cuckoo have no dark spots or streaks.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Ryan F. Mandelbaum · CC BY 4.0

Pheasant Cuckoo

Dromococcyx phasianellus

Medium85 gForest

The pheasant cuckoo is a large cuckoo with a short crest tipped with rusty brown. The bird's upper parts are dark sooty-brown and the underparts are pale buff with small black streaks on the breast. The feathers of the large tail are of varying lengths, with the central ones being the longest. The call consists of two short whistles, the second being of higher pitch, followed by a trill "whee! whee! wheerr-rr". It can be sung from low, medium, or high perches or from the ground.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Anthony Batista · CC BY 4.0

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