Eudynamys scolopaceus (Linnaeus, 1758)

A member of the cuckoo family, they are brood parasites but largely frugivorous as adults.

This familiar cuckoo is black with red eyes(male) or mottled white and brown(female and juvenile).

A large, long-tailed cuckoo with the male glossy bluish black and the female dark brown with white spots. They are brood parasites, laying a single egg in the nests of other birds such as the House Crow and Jungle Crow.

The laying season is mainly from April to August and corresponds with that of its most usual host, the House Crow. Occasionally the Jungle-Crow, which nests somewhat earlier, is victimised. Its eggs are rather smaller, but very like the crow's in appearance, pale greyish-green or stone colour speckled and blotched with reddish-brown. As many as 11 have been found in a single crow's nest. It appears that the female Koel seizes the opportunity to deposit her egg in a crow's nest while the male deliberately draws the owners away by leading them a chase. It is also evident that the young Koel usually succeeds in disposing of his rightful foster-brothers at an early age.

The female lays its eggs in crow nests.

About that of the House-Crow, but of slenderer build and with a longer tail.

Male glistening black with yellowish-green bill; female brown, spotted and barred with white.

The Koel is one of our most familiar birds, its call being perhaps even better known than its appearance. It frequents gardens, groves and open country abounding in large leafy trees. It is entirely arboreal and never descends to the ground. During winter the bird is silent, but with the approach of the hot weather and its coincident breeding season, it waxes extremely vociferous. All through that season its loud, shrill, shrieking notes resound on the countryside throughout the day and often far into the night. The call begins with a low ku-oo, but rises in scale with each successive ku-oo until at the seventh or eighth it reaches feverish pitch and breaks oil abruptly. The bird soon commences it all over again. Another common note is a sharp quick-repeated kik-kik-kik uttered by the female as she dashes from tree to tree or hops amongst the branches. Its food consists chielly of Banyan and Peepal figs and berries of various kinds, but insects and caterpillars are also eaten. Its flight is swift and straight, and a Koel fleeing before the vindictive onslaught of a pair of irate crows is a common sight.

Seen singly or pairs, in groves of trees, etc.

Frequents in gardens, groves and open country abounding in large leaft trees.

Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern ver 3.1

IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern