Asian Koel

Latin Name: 
Eudynamys scolopaceus
Category: 
Size: 
42cm
Description: 

Male: metallic-black plumage; greenish beak and crimson eyes. Female: dark brown, thickly spotted and barred white; whitish below, dark-spotted on throat,
barred below. Solitary or in pairs; arboreal; mostly silent between July and February; fast flight.

Habitat: 
light forests, orchards, city parks, cultivation, open areas.
Food: 
ficus and other fruits; insects, snails, eggs of smaller birds.
Distribution: 
subcontinent, up to about 1,800m in outer Himalaya; uncommon in drier areas.
Call: 
Call Description: 
familiar call of Indian countryside. Very noisy between March and June, coinciding with breeding of crows; loud kuoo…kuooo… whistling calls in crescendo by male koel, the first syllable longish; water-bubbling call of female.
National Status: