Indian Koel

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Indian Koel
Male of the Indian Koels

Male of the Indian Koels

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Cuckoo birds (Cuculiformes)
Family : Cuckoos (Cuculidae)
Genre : Eudynamys
Type : Indian Koel
Scientific name
Eudynamys scolopaceus
( Linnaeus , 1758)
Female of the Indian Koels
Female of the Indian Koel, underside of the body
Young male bird

The Indian koel ( Eudynamys scolopaceus ) is a species in the cuckoo family and belongs within this family to the subfamily of the Old World cuckoos (Cuculinae). A total of 18 subspecies for this cuckoo species are described, which differ in the plumage of the female.

The distribution area extends over the Indian subcontinent , China and Southeast Asia to Australia . The habitat are forests, forest edges, plantations up to tree-covered grasslands and suburban regions. Like a number of species within the cuckoo , the Indian Koel is an obligatory breeding parasite that does not raise its young itself. The oldest references to brood parasitism of a species of cuckoo can be found for this species in the Indian Vedas around 2000 BC. Chr .: he is referred to as a bird that is raised by others. Further details on the way of life of the species are not given in this oldest source.

The Indian Koel is one of the few species of cuckoo that feed mainly on fruits when fully grown. The term describes Koel onomatopoeic the typical call of nature.

Systematics

The taxonomic classification of the species has not been fully clarified, as it is unclear, among other things, which differences in the plumage occur in individual subspecies or to what extent determined plumage differences can be assigned to breeding birds in an area or non-breeding migratory birds. The Indian Koel is therefore classified as the only species of the genus Eudynamys , whose numerous subspecies also include the Pacific Koel ( Eudynamys scolopaceus orientalis ) and the Black- billed Koel ( Eudynamys scolopaceus melanorhynchus ). This classification is followed here.

Alternatively, the Indian Koel is classified as a collective species together with the Pacific Koel (then Eudynamys orientalis ) and the Black- billed Koel (then Eudynamys melanorhynchus ) .

features

Appearance

The Indian Koel reaches a body length of 39 to 46 centimeters. The body weight is between 190 and 327 grams. The long tail feathers account for between 18 and 19 centimeters . Males have a beak length of 2.6 to 3.2 centimeters, in females it is 2.6 to 3 centimeters long.

The adult males of the nominate form have glossy blue-black plumage. The strong and slightly curved beak is either ivory, pale green, or horn-colored. The eyes are bright red. The strong legs and feet are gray.

The female of the nominate form has predominantly brownish plumage. The head is dashed whitish and reddish brown, the upper plumage is dark brown with white or beige spots. The plumage from chin to front chest is also dark brown with white or beige spots. The rest of the underside of the body is whitish with a black-brown transverse banding. The tail is dark brown with a narrow reddish-brown transverse banding. The color of the iris ranges from brown to orange-red. The beak is horn-colored with a blackish beak base.

Young birds always show the respective sex-specific plumage color; however, their plumage is a little less shiny and dull. On the underside of the body they are matt dark brown with narrow whitish transverse bands. Female juveniles are generally a little darker in color than the adult ones. The top of the body is greyish brown with a more banded than dotted plumage pattern. The head and face do not yet show any dashes. The eye color of young birds is brown. The beak color changes with increasing days of life from the blue-black of the fledgling young bird to a gray-beige. They moult twice before wearing the plumage of the adult birds.

Nestlings initially have a pink skin, but this quickly changes to black. The first feathers are also black with a white to pale brown tip. They closely resemble the nestlings of crows, the most important host bird species of the Indian Koels. Female nestlings are a bit browner on the top of the head and already have transverse ligaments on the underside of the body. In nestlings, the beak is initially dirty pink, whereas in fledgling young birds it is blue-black.

voice

The Indian Koel is very shouting; Representatives of this species can be heard frequently, especially during the breeding season, and then call out both during the day and during the night. Most often, however, the calls can be heard at dawn and dusk. Up to now only a few differences in the calls of the species have been found within the large distribution area. During the mating season, the calls of the males and females can often be heard in duets.

A loud "ko-el-ko-el-ko-el-ko-el-ko-el", which starts slowly and then gets faster and faster, can be heard from the males. Occasionally the call ends in a drawn out wheeoo . The pitch of the calls is falling. During chases, the males also emit an excited-looking kwa-kwa-keow-keow . Males courting females also let out a faint chuckling wuk-wuk-wuk , which, however, can only be heard up close.

The females call out a harsh, trumpet-like and quickly repeated "kik-kik-kik-kik", which they can hear both from the stand guard and during the flight.

Nestlings beg with a series of hot wheet-oop-wheet-wheet-wheet-opp. Fledgling nestlings emit a loud and harsh kaaa that is reminiscent of the calls of young crows.

distribution

Distribution area of ​​the Indian Koels. The distribution area of ​​the Australian subspecies E. s. subcyanocephalus is not fully shown.

The Indian Koel is a common species of bird, the range of which extends from the Indian subcontinent over China to the northern and eastern coastal regions of Australia.

The westernmost distribution area extends to Pakistan . There are two populations there: one is common in the northeast of the country, and a second lives in the southeast of the country. Nepal is one of the northernmost distribution areas , where the Indian Koel is a resident bird in the region around Bardia . In the Kathmandu valley , however, it only occurs in the summer months between March and October. Also in the south and west of China, this species is only represented in the summer months.

In most regions of India and Sri Lanka , the Indian Koel is a resident bird. The same applies to Thailand and Malaysia , Penang and Singapore . The Indian Koel is a rare bird in Java , Bali and the Philippines . It is unclear whether it is also a resident bird in these regions.

In Australia, the range of two subspecies of the Indian Koels extends in a wide strip along the coast of Kimberley in the west via Queensland in the northeast to the southeast of New South Wales . Occasionally they also occur in the Australian states of Victoria and South Australia .

habitat

Adult male

In India, the Indian Koel can be found mainly in light forests and groves near villages and farms as well as in orchards, gardens and urban parks. In Australia, on the other hand, it also inhabits dense rainforest or can be found on watercourses lined with myrtle heaths and on grassland covered with trees. It also occurs in settlements when they have streets lined with fig and mango trees . In contrast, it is rare in mangrove forests . In New Guinea it can also be found in gallery forests and secondary forests.

On Sumatra , the Indian Koel can also be found in mangrove forests, in swamp forests along the coast, on small offshore coral islands and on agricultural areas. In the Philippines, it is found in both lowland and mountain forests and is a common bird on plantations.

In the area of ​​the Himalayas it occurs at altitudes of 1800 meters above sea level, on the other hand it is rare on the Indian peninsula above 1000 meters. In New Guinea, on the other hand, it can be observed regularly at an altitude of 1500 meters.

Way of life

Calling male
female

The Indian Koel is mostly in trees and as an adult bird can never be seen on the ground. He is mostly calm while eating. Several Indian Koels are often gathered in trees that bear ripe fruit. A single bird can hardly be seen in the thick foliage. In the early hours of the morning, however, the Indian Koel often sits on tree tops and sunbathes. Basically, he is more likely to attract attention through his calls.

As a rule, crows react aggressively to the Indian Koel and show a conspicuous hatred towards this species. At the time of egg-laying, the male often attracts the attention of crows in order to enable the female to lay eggs.

Reproduction

The reproductive behavior of the Indian Koel has not yet been fully researched. Probably pairs form during the breeding season and there is evidence that the males are defending a territory.

The breeding season varies with the area of ​​distribution. In Pakistan this falls mainly in the months of June and July, while Indian Koels reproduce in India between March and October. In Australia, on the other hand, the typical breeding season is November to February. During courtship, the male bows to the female with the tail lowered. The female also responds with bows, the male then lets out loud shouts.

The host bird species also vary with the area of ​​distribution. Typical host bird species are, for example:

literature

  • NB Davies: Cuckoos, Cowbirds and Other Cheats . T & AD Poyser, London 2000, ISBN 0-85661-135-2 .
  • Johannes Erhitzøe, Clive F. Mann, Frederik P. Brammer, Richard A. Fuller: Cuckoos of the World . Christopher Helm, London 2012, ISBN 978-0-7136-6034-0 .
  • PJ Higgins (Ed.) 1999: Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 4: Parrots to Dollarbird . Oxford University Press, Melbourne. ISBN 0-19-553071-3
  • Robert B. Payne: The Cuckoos . Oxford University Press, Oxford 2005, ISBN 978-0-19-850213-5 .

Web links

Commons : Indian Koel  album with pictures, videos and audio files

Single receipts

  1. ^ A b N. David, M. Gosselin: The grammatical gender of avian genera. In: Bull BOC. 122, 2002, pp. 257-282.
  2. ^ Penard, TE: The name of the black cuckoo . (PDF) In: Auk . 36, No. 4, 1919, pp. 569-570. doi : 10.2307 / 4073368 .
  3. ↑ Erhitzøe, Mann, Brammer, Fuller: Cuckoos of the World . P. 326. and p. 327
  4. ↑ Davies: Cuckoos, Cowbirds and Other Cheats. P. 14.
  5. ^ Edward C. Dickinson: The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World , Princeton University, Princeton 2003, ISBN 978-0956861122 .
  6. ^ PJ Higgins (Ed.) 1999: Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 4: Parrots to Dollarbird . Oxford University Press, Melbourne. ISBN 0-19-553071-3 .
  7. ^ Robert B. Payne: The Cuckoos . Oxford University Press, Oxford 2005, ISBN 978-0-19-850213-5 .
  8. ↑ a b c d e f g Erhitzøe, Mann, Brammer, Fuller: Cuckoos of the World . P. 325
  9. ^ Penard, TE: The name of the black cuckoo . (PDF) In: Auk . 36, No. 4, 1919, pp. 569-570. doi : 10.2307 / 4073368 .
  10. ↑ a b c d Erhitzøe, Mann, Brammer, Fuller: Cuckoos of the World . P. 326.
  11. ↑ a b c Erhitzøe, Mann, Brammer, Fuller: Cuckoos of the World . P. 327.
  12. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Erhitzøe, Mann, Brammer, Fuller: Cuckoos of the World . P. 328.
  13. ↑ Erhitzøe, Mann, Brammer, Fuller: Cuckoos of the World . P. 329.