Asian koel : The intruder

The sanskrit Vedas referred to this bird as Anya-Vapa , which means - " that which was raised by others." This is the earliest account of brood parasitism found till date.

                                                              Asian koel is a brood parasite and lays its egg(s) in the nests of a variety of birds (like crow, myna, Oriole, etc.) Male distracts the host and meanwhile the female lays an egg in the nest. 

 Female Asian koel 

Male Asian koel

Here are some details about this melodious trespasser:

Common name: Koel , kokil 

Scientific name: Eudynamys scolopaceus

Identification:

• Male and female asian koel look completely different from each other. 
• The male is bluish-black in colour.
• The female has brownish crown. Its back , tail and wings are dark brown with white spots.
• Their bills are pointed and slightly curved.
• Their iris is crimson in colour.
• The familiar song of male is a repeated koo-Ooo and has a melodious voice.
• The female makes a sharp , high-pitched kik - kik - kik call.

Habitat: Asian koel lives mainly in dense thickets of trees. It is also found in shrubby areas with tall trees.

Food: 

• Asian koel is omnivorous. It consumes insects, caterpillars , eggs , small vertebrates , fruits , seeds , berries , etc.

Nest: It does not build a nest. It lays eggs in other birds' nests (mostly crow) displaying brood parasitism. 

Social behaviour:

• Asian koel is shy in nature. It is heard before seen. They produce loud and distinct calls. 
• It lays eggs in host bird's nest (mostly crow).
• The male tends to destroy host bird's nest if the chicks are not taken care of.
• The chicks mimic the sound of crow until their first flight.

IUCN Status: Least concern. 

Photographs by: Yamini Dashora