Common Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea)
Order: CUCULIFORMES
Family: CUCULIDAE Cuckoos
Scientific name: Eudynamys scolopacea
English name: Common Koel
Characteristic: Sixe 43 cm. A large, long-tailed bird with bright red eyes and greenish beak. A male has all glossy black plumage, while a female has dark brown upperpart wholly marked with pale spots and streaks; underpart cream finely traversed with brown stripes.
Distribution: India, Myannmar, Thailand, Indo-chian, Southern China, Taiwan, Hainan to Malaysia, the Philippines, Borneo, Sumatra, Java, Bali and Australia. In Thailand, it can be found in all parts.
Habitat: Preferring open forest condition, scrub forest, mangrove forest, orchards, agricultural areas, extending also in parks or vegetation around the villages. In Sakaerat, this bird lives happily in dry dipterocarp and it nearby grass fields.
Habit: It is a predominantly fruit-eater, readily devouring figs, plums and insects and their larvae. It breeds from March to August; when an active male will call loudly all the time. A female will not incubate her eggs, but instead let other birds such as Large-billed crows, Black-collared starlings, Common mynas to do that job. First, a female chooses a nest with eggs of other birds and lay one of its own into that nest. By nature, the koel' s bird will hatch earlier than those of the nest' s owner, lasting only 13-14 days. That young will try to push other eggs out of the nest. In case that the eggs of the nest' s owner hatch out earlier, the koel young will be stronger and grow quicker, so it takes all those provided by the host birds until others starve to death or being killed. It will be solely nourished to fledgling.
Status: Uncommon resident in Sakaerat forest. Legally protected as a protected wild animal.
