Striped Cuckoos (Tapera naevia) have three different song types. We investigated behavioral correlates of two using interactive playback to simulate territorial intrusion. Individuals sang one song type frequently when not interacting closely with neighbors, mates, or playback. A less common song type was sung by subjects that had approached playback closely, and by closely countersinging neighbors. These two song types distinguish different extents to which a singer may take initiative leading to interaction: the first provides information that the singer will probably stay put and not interact closely unless approached, the second that the singer will itself approach and search for another individual. Such distinctions are significant because they parallel recent results from diverse passerines, and because the information may be fundamental in enabling singers to obviate or elicit encounters with distant individuals.