Cuckoos (Cuculidae)
Common Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea) - HBW 4, p. 570
French: Coucou koël
German: Indischer Koel
Spanish: Koel Común
Other common names: Asian Koel (scolopacea group), Black-billed Koel (melanorhyncha); Australian/Blue-headed Koel (cyanocephala group)
Taxonomy: Cuculus scolopaceus Linnaeus, 1758, Malabar.
Genus name sometimes incorrectly spelt Eudynamis. Australian birds are sometimes treated as a separate species (E. cyanocephala), and black-billed populations of Sulawesi to Moluccas and New Guinea as another (E. melanorhyncha); while both rufiventer and subcyanocephala are present in New Guinea, however, they are not known to breed sympatrically as two distinct species; and two forms (orientalis, ?cyanocephala) occur on Seram, but it is unknown if both breed there; songs and calls appear to be similar for all forms throughout their collective .. View all taxonomy...
Taxonomy: Cuculus scolopaceus Linnaeus, 1758, Malabar.
Genus name sometimes incorrectly spelt Eudynamis. Australian birds are sometimes treated as a separate species (E. cyanocephala), and black-billed populations of Sulawesi to Moluccas and New Guinea as another (E. melanorhyncha); while both rufiventer and subcyanocephala are present in New Guinea, however, they are not known to breed sympatrically as two distinct species; and two forms (orientalis, ?cyanocephala) occur on Seram, but it is unknown if both breed there; songs and calls appear to be similar for all forms throughout their collective range. Birds on Andaman and Nicobar Is are sometimes recognized subspecifically (dolosa), being small and female having large rufous spots above, but overlap occurs with malayana of Malaysia and Sumatra. Seventeen subspecies recognized.
Genus name sometimes incorrectly spelt Eudynamis. Australian birds are sometimes treated as a separate species (E. cyanocephala), and black-billed populations of Sulawesi to Moluccas and New Guinea as another (E. melanorhyncha); while both rufiventer and subcyanocephala are present in New Guinea, however, they are not known to breed sympatrically as two distinct species; and two forms (orientalis, ?cyanocephala) occur on Seram, but it is unknown if both breed there; songs and calls appear to be similar for all forms throughout their collective range. Birds on Andaman and Nicobar Is are sometimes recognized subspecifically (dolosa), being small and female having large rufous spots above, but overlap occurs with malayana of Malaysia and Sumatra. Seventeen subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- scolopacea (Linnaeus, 1758) - Nepal, Pakistan and India to Sri Lanka, Laccadives and Maldives.
- chinensis Cabanis & Heine, 1863 - S China and Indochina; winters S to Borneo.
- harterti Ingram, 1912 - Hainan.
- scolopacea (Linnaeus, 1758) - Nepal, Pakistan and India to Sri Lanka, Laccadives and Maldives.
- chinensis Cabanis & Heine, 1863 - S China and Indochina; winters S to Borneo.
- harterti Ingram, 1912 - Hainan.
- malayana Cabanis & Heine, 1863 - E India and Bangladesh, through Myanmar, Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia to Andaman and Nicobar Is, Sumatra and Bangka, Borneo and Lesser Sundas (Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores).
- simalurensis Junge, 1936 - Simeulue and off-lying islands of Kokos and Babi (off NW Sumatra).
- frater McGregor, 1904 - NE Philippines (Calayan and Fuga).
- mindanensis (Linnaeus, 1766) - Talaud and Sangihe Is to Philippines (including Palawan).
- melanorhyncha S. Müller, 1843 - Sulawesi.
- facialis Wallace, 1863 - Sula Is.
- corvina Stresemann, 1931 - N Moluccas (Morotai, Halmahera, Ternate, Tidore, Moti, Bacan).
- orientalis (Linnaeus, 1766) - C Moluccas (Buru, Manipa, Kelang, Seram, Ambon, Tujuh, Watubela).
- picata S. Müller, 1843 - Kai Is and Sumba to Timor and Roma.
- rufiventer (Lesson, 1830) - New Guinea.
- salvadorii Hartert, 1900 - Bismarck Archipelago.
- alberti Rothschild & Hartert, 1907 - Solomon Is.
- subcyanocephala Mathews, 1912 - N Australia E to W Queensland; migrant to New Guinea.
- cyanocephala (Latham, 1801) - N Queensland to New South Wales.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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Juvenile calling and being fed by Red Wattlebirds. Locality Ulladulla, New South Wales, Australia (ssp cyanocephala)
Stephen Wallace 6 February 2012 1 year ago 55 sec 4.8 -
male eating fruits Locality Goa, India
filmingnature 1 week ago ADDED LAST MONTH 24 sec 4.7 -
A female feeding on bananas with several Common Hill Myna, then all flying away Locality Andaman Islands, Andaman and Nicobar (ssp malayana)
Stefan Behrens 2001 6 years ago 40 sec 4.6 -
A female perched, approaching to a papaya fruit and feeding. Locality Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, Ernakulam District, Kerala, India (ssp scolopacea)
Josep del Hoyo 30 November 2009 3 years ago 47 sec 4.4 -
Bird jumping about in a bush Locality Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka, India
Keith and Lynn Youngs 27 November 2012 19 weeks ago 32 sec 4.2 -
A juvenile calling to a Magpie-Lark and flying away Locality Gympie, Queensland, Australia (ssp cyanocephala)
Tom Tarrant 28 February 1997 8 years ago 30 sec 4.1
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This female Common Koel was feeding on small fruits in this dense shrubby Fig tree.
Locality Tissamaharama, Southern Province, Sri Lanka (ssp scolopacea)
Steve Garvie 31 July 2009 3 years ago 4.7 -
Indian Koel on Papayya Tree,in morning hours. ( Roaming in residential area )
Locality Yavatmal, Yavatmal District, Maharashtra, India (ssp scolopacea)
Jayant Atrey 16 August 2011 1 year ago 4.5 -
A Female Asian/Common Koel
Locality Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Agniva 42 weeks ago 4.3 -
A female perching
Locality Goa, India
Tadeusz Stawarczyk 20 February 2008 4 years ago 4.3 -
Adult male perching in a garden
Locality Hampi, Bellary District, Karnataka, India (ssp scolopacea)
Marco Valentini 31 December 2010 1 year ago 4.2 -
A male Common Koel perching on a cotton tree
Locality Shouson Hill, Hong Kong
Terence S K LAI 29 March 2012 21 weeks ago 4.2
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Quick calls of male and female Locality Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India
(ssp scolopacea)
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 June 2003 3 years ago 4.8 -
Difeerent calls of male and female Locality Jaipur District, Rajasthan, India
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 June 2005 3 years ago 4.5 -
Male giving crescendo calls Locality Jaipur District, Rajasthan, India
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 June 2005 3 years ago 4.5 -
Calls of one bird . Locality Tmatboey, Preah Vihear Province, Cambodia
(ssp chinensis)
Josep del Hoyo 7 March 2011 2 years ago 4.3 -
Male calling Locality Jaipur District, Rajasthan, India
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 June 2005 3 years ago 4.3 -
A bird calling in a suburban garden. Locality New Lambton, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
(ssp cyanocephala)
Nick Talbot 14 January 2012 1 year ago 4
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