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ASIAN KOEL FACTS |
Description
The Koel is a large cuckoo. The male has glossy blue-black plumage and red eye. The female is glossy brown above with white spots and bars. She has a black face and black on top of head, and red eye. The underparts are creamy brown with fine black bars. Young birds are similar to adult female, but have dark eye.
Other Names
Cooee, Rainbird, Indian Koel
Size
39 - 46cm
Habitat
tall forests and are common in suburban areas.
Food
fruit, especially figs
Breeding
lays its eggs in the nests of other bird species. Common hosts are the Red Wattlebird, Friarbirds, Magpie-lark, Figbirds. A single egg is laid in the host nest and once hatched the chick pushes the other eggs and hatchlings out of the nest. The chick soon grows larger than the foster parents who continue to feed it once it leaves the nest.
Range
During breeding season, they are found in northern and eastern Australia down to southern coast of New South Wales.
Credits:
Map is from Atlas of Living Australia website at https://biocache.ala.org.au licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Notes
Koels arrive in Australia in late September and early October from their northern winter homes to breed. The Koels leave southern Australia about March.
Classification
| Class: | Aves | | Order: | Cuculiformes | | Family: | Cuculidae | | Genus: | Eudynamys | | Species: | scolopacea | | Common Name: | Asian Koel |
Relatives in same Genus
Eastern Koel (E. orientalis)
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