Eastern Koel

19 November 2018

Eastern Koels are back in Melbourne! For the last couple of years at about this time, Koels have begun to make their presence felt. Other Australians, particularly down the eastern seaboard, have been swearing at this bird for years. A Koel calls loudly overnight, making it both recognisable and unloved. They’re also unpopular with other birds, as it’s a type of cuckoo, and will lay eggs in other birds’ nests.

Somewhat sadly, the other birds aren’t sufficiently intelligent to tell the difference between their own eggs and the Koel eggs, so once they’re laid, the host birds end up raising the Koel chicks.

https://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Eudynamys-orientalis

Photo credit: Geoffrey Dabb