Eudynamys scolopacea
Description
The Koel has a rather long tail and is slightly smaller than a magpie. The male is glossy black with a striking red eye. Females and juveniles have brown eyes and patterned feathers in a mixture of dark brown, tan, white and gold; they may appear to have stripes or spots. Their beaks are slightly curved.
Distribution
Common Koels are migratory, travelling each year between NSW and Indonesia or PNG.
Habits and Habitat
They arrive in Sydney each year from September onwards and depart by early March. During this period, males call loudly and continuously, often throughout the night. Their most common call is a distinctive "coo-ee".
Koels are shy and are often very difficult to see but easy to hear. Their diet consists mainly of fruit such a berries or figs and occasionally insects.
As cuckoos, they do not raise their own young but lay their eggs in the nests of smaller birds (predominantly wattlebirds). The host bird then rears the chick seemingly oblivious to the fact that it is not their own. Babies quickly outgrow their foster parents but continue to aggressively pursue them and beg for food.
Links and References
Simpson and Day (1999), "Field Guide to the Birds of Australia", Viking