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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male feeding on flowers of a cactus Locality Theni, Theni District, Tamil Nadu, India (ssp scolopacea)
Martin Kennewell 18 December 2012 17 weeks ago 33 sec 4 -
A female bird perching in a fruiting palm tree. Locality New Lambton, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia (ssp cyanocephala)
Nick Talbot 14 January 2012 1 year ago 33 sec 4 -
A male feeding in a papaya tree and flying away Locality Rush Creek, Queensland, Australia (ssp cyanocephala)
Tom Tarrant 31 August 1998 7 years ago 38 sec 4 -
Male and female calling Locality Jaipur District, Rajasthan, India
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 June 2005 3 years ago 14 sec 3.8 -
The Black Koel doing some act like Yoga. Locality Indore, Indore District, Madhya Pradesh, India
luvbirdwatching 1 October 2009 3 years ago 1 min 2 sec 3.8 -
A bird calling from a tree. Locality Nakhon Pathom, Central Thailand, Thailand
Yoel Jimenez 10 February 2012 1 year ago 40 sec 3.7
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A female bird
Locality Masinagudi-Ooty Road, The Nilgiris District, Tamil Nadu, India
vasanthan.p.j 17 March 2012 1 year ago 4.2 -
A female Common Koel perching on a rope
Locality Shing Mun Valley Park, Hong Kong
Terence S K LAI 18 September 2012 17 weeks ago 4 -
A brownish-black bird with white-tipped feathers, a long tail and white, striped throat and belly. The beak is slightly thick an
Locality Masirah Island, Ash Sharqiyah Governorate, Oman
David Dennison 7 December 2012 22 weeks ago 4 -
This female was waiting for a crow to fly away from it's nest, to parasite it with her eggs.
Locality Mysore, Mysore District, Karnataka, India
Ragoorao 3 July 2010 2 years ago 4 -
These Cuckoos are brood parasites and this male was trying to distract the crows from their nest.
Locality Mysore, Mysore District, Karnataka, India (ssp scolopacea)
Ragoorao 4 June 2010 2 years ago 4 -
A front view of a female.
Locality Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, Ernakulam District, Kerala, India (ssp scolopacea )
Josep del Hoyo 30 November 2009 3 years ago 4
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Male giving bubbling calls Locality Jaipur District, Rajasthan, India
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 July 2006 2 years ago 4 -
Male giving steady long typical calls Locality Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India
(ssp scolopacea)
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 June 2003 3 years ago 4 -
Male giving crescendo calls Locality Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India
(ssp scolopacea)
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 June 1983 3 years ago 4 -
Click to play
Early afternoon. Hidden in a broad-leaf tree Locality Gurgaon District, Haryana, India
sharad 1 February 2010 2 years ago 3.5 -
A bird calling. Locality Lorong Halus, Singapore
(ssp malayana)
Josep del Hoyo 1 November 2009 2 years ago 3.5 -
Juvenile calling and being fed. Locality Ulladulla, New South Wales, Australia
Stephen Wallace 6 February 2012 1 year ago 3
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