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Australian Koel (Eudynamys cyanocephalus) Alternate name(s): "Cooee-bird", "Flinders Cuckoo", "Indian Koel", "Rainbird*", "Common Koel", "Pacific Koel", "Eastern Koel" Size: 39-46 cm; wing span: 65-80 cm Body mass: 160-340 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: ca. 0.42-0.54

Australia: Family Group 13 Family Group 13 Table Oriental Cuckoo Pallid Cuckoo Brush Cuckoo Black-eared Cuckoo Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo Fan-tailed Cuckoo Horsefield's Bronze-Cuckoo Shining Bronze-Cuckoo Little Bronze-Cuckoo Australian Koel Channel-billed Cuckoo Pheasant Coucal Rufous Owl Powerful Owl Barking Owl Australian Boobook Eastern Barn Owl Eastern Grass Owl Australian Masked Owl Greater Sooty Owl Lesser Sooty Owl Marbled Frogmouth Tawny Frogmouth Papuan Frogmouth White-throated Nightjar Spotted Nightjar Large-tailed Nightjar Australian Owlet-nightjar Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Thumbnails page Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Australian Koels are large cuckoos. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. Male Australian Koels are all glossy-black, with prominent red eyes. Female Australian Koels have a dark-brown crown, brown throat patches and a lightly barred buff front, while the back is dark-brown, speckled white. The females' undertail shows the typical barring of cuckoo tails. Both sexes have striking red irises, the bill is light-grey, the legs and feet are grey. Juvenile Australian Koels have a cream-coloured crown and dark irises. Their back is barred rufous, with white specks.

Taxonomy, classification See Australian Koel at Wikipedia . Click here for classification information Previously various Koels were considered to be conspecific, but more recently they are being treated as separate species. Some sources still list the Australian Koel as race "cyanocephalus" of the Eastern Koel or Common Koel (Eudynamys orientalis or Eudynamys scolopaceus).

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Australian Koel is available HERE . Australian Koels are partly migratory, partly sedentary. When not in Australia, Australian Koels are on islands of far south-eastern Asia, from eastern Indonesia and Timor Leste to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Australian Koels migrate to Australia from the North, making landfall anywhere along the North ocast, from the Kimberley in WA to Cape Melville in QLD. They breed only in Australia. They populate the entire far tropical North of the continent plus north-eastern QLD, including Cape York peninsula, up to a line cutting through Townsville, QLD, in a south-westerly direction. Their range continues to the South-East of that line, throughout south-eastern QLD and mostly a coastal strip and Great Dividing Range in NSW, down to the border with VIC and occasionally into the eastern half of VIC. They usually reach the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range and only after substantial inland rainfall proceed farther inland, as far West as e.g. Walgett, NSW. The southern part of that range, up to the tropic of Capricorn, is populated by nominate race "cyanocephalus". Northward of the tropic of Capricorn one finds race "subcyanocephalus". Australian Koels are usually found in dense forest to open woodland. In more open country they are often found in trees near water courses.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "cyanocephalus" An Australian Koel, nominate race "cyanocephalus", was first seen by us in Eulah Creek, 20 km East of Narrabri, NSW, in December 2006. A couple of Australian Koels, race "cyanocephalus", were feeding on a Californian peppertree. The female was easily approachable and stayed for quite a while. However, the all-black male, which we also saw, was much shier. In general, in inland NSW Australian Koels, race "cyanocephalus", are found only in the Great Dividing Range, right up to its western foothills. They do not venture out into the plains. At Eulah Creek we have spotted them every year since 2006, while in the Narrabri township they are hardly ever found. C. Hayne reports spotting a pair of Australian Koels, race "cyanocephalus", at Pallamallawa, NSW, in December 2013. Australian Koels, race "cyanocephalus", were also spotted by us on the NSW North Coast, e.g. at Urunga, in January 2011. They have been found by us, and reported by numerous contributors, from various locations along the NSW and QLD coast. Several birds were spotted by us in vegetation along creek beds in Warrumbungle NP, 30 km East of Coonabarabran, NSW, in December 2012. Australian Koels were NOT heard or seen by us 2003-2006, when we lived 20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, i.e. just a bit farther away from the foothills of the Great Dividing Range than Eulah Creek. Race "subcyanocephalus" Australian Koels, race "subcyanocephalus, are observed by R. Russell semi-regularly at Mount Molloy, QLD. Australian Koels, race "subcyanocephalus, were also seen by L. Tonnochy in January 2011, 20 km West of Townsville, QLD. P. Brown reports finding an Australian Koel, race "subcyanocephalus, on the Victoria River, Keep River NP, NT, in November 2018. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours spotted Australian Koels, race "subcyanocephalus, at Cattana Wetlands, Cairns, QLD, in January 2020 and again in December 2020.

Photos

Race "cyanocephalus"

ADULT

PAIR

The two following photos were taken when a female Australian Koel attracted attention to itself by issuing loud calls from the top of a tree. When disturbed there by a Magpie-lark (a potential host), it flew into another tree, from where a male had been answering its calls.

Caught "in the act" - Australian Koel mounting a female
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2007]

Male and female Australian Koel going their separate ways again
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2007]

MALE

Close-up frontal/ventral portrait of a male Australian Koel (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Near Narrabri, NSW, November 2021]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a male Australian Koel in a native fig tree issuing its call (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Yamba, NSW, January 2021]

Near-lateral view of a male Australian Koel
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2016]

Lateral view of a male Australian Koel with drooping wings (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead, QLD, January 2020]

Lateral view of a male Australian Koel (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gatton, QLD, December 2017]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Australian Koel in a native fig tree (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Yamba, NSW, January 2021]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Australian Koel in a native fig tree (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Yamba, NSW, January 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a male Australian Koel looking back over its shoulder
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2022]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Australian Koel on the ground (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Sydney, NSW, January 2019]

Frontal/ventral view of a female Australian Koel in an Acacia salicina
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2016]

Near-frontal view of a female Australian Koel on the ground (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Sydney, NSW, January 2019]

Near-lateral view of a female Australian Koel (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead, QLD, January 2020]

Lateral view of a female Australian Koel looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of L. Tonnochy)
[Near Townsville, QLD, January 2011]

Close-up lateral portrait of a female Australian Koel
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2016]

Lateral view of a female Australian Koel (photo courtesy of L. Tonnochy)
[Near Townsville, QLD, January 2011]

Lateral/ventral view of a female Australian Koel in a native fig tree (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Yamba, NSW, January 2021]

Close-up lateral/ventral view of a female Australian Koel
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2022]

Near-dorsal view of a female Australian Koel (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead, QLD, January 2020]

Dorsal view of a female Australian Koel (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead, QLD, January 2020]

Ventral view of a female Australian Koel in a native fig tree (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Yamba, NSW, January 2021]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal/ventral view of a juvenile Australian Koel in a native fig tree (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Yamba, NSW, January 2021]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a juvenile Australian Koel wiping clean its bill (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Yamba, NSW, January 2021]

Lateral view of a juvenile Australian Koel (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Eastlakes Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, February 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Australian Koel (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Eastlakes Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, February 2018]

Race "subcyanocephalus"

MALE

Close-up frontal view of a male Australian Koel (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Cattana Wetlands, Cairns, QLD, December 2020]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a male Australian Koel (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Cattana Wetlands, Cairns, QLD, December 2020]

This ventral view of an Australian Koel shows that they have only 10, albeit wide and long, tail feathers
(photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD]

FEMALE

Close-up frontal view of a female Australian Koel (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Victoria River, Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]

Close-up frontal view of a female Australian Koel (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Victoria River, Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]

Frontal view of a female Australian Koel (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, November 2011]

Close-up lateral view of a female Australian Koel (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, October 2007]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a juvenile male Australian Koel moulting into its first adult plumage (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, April 2020]

Lateral view of a juvenile male Australian Koel moulting into its first adult plumage (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, March 2011]

Lateral view of a juvenile male Australian Koel moulting into its first adult plumage (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, March 2011]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile male Australian Koel moulting into its first adult plumage (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, March 2011]

Close-up near-frontal view of a juvenile Australian Koel (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, March 2011]

Close-up lateral view of a juvenile Australian Koel (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, March 2011]

Two different views of a juvenile Australian Koel - click on image to see the bird with its head turned
(photos courtesy of L. Tonnochy)
[Near Townsville, QLD, January 2011]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Migratory

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

Together with other birds marking the boundaries of their territory by calling from vantage points, we noticed that the local Australian Koels were quiet for two days during a late cold snap in late October 2008.

It is our experience that male Australian Koels do not like to be approached, while females - probably because they are used to a lot of attention by adversaries - will stay around and even study the opposition (see the lateral portrait of a female above).

Juvenile Blue-faced Honeyeater helping to feed a chick - only it isn't quite a sibling, but a juvenile Australian Koel instead (photo courtesy of N. Maclean)
[Noosaville, QLD, June 2016]

Female Australian Koel on the ground showing its displeasure by raising its erectile crest when being pestered by a Yellow-faced Honeyeater (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Sydney, NSW, January 2019]

Food, Diet

Australian Koels feed on fruit and insects.

Female Australian Koel taking a native fig (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Yamba, NSW, January 2021]

Pair of Australian Koels feasting on a banana (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mt. Molloy, QLD, November 2014]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

comkoel_art_20131213.mp3	cyanocephalus (SE QLD)	Contact calls? (male)	© ART
comkoel_20171116_3.m4a	cyanocephalus (NW NSW)	Male calling female ("cooee")	© MD
comkoel_20221011.mp3	cyanocephalus (NW NSW)	Male calling female ("cooee")	© MD
comkoel_20160111.m4a	cyanocephalus (NW NSW)	Male "cooee" calls + Apostlebird reaction	© MD
comkoel_20180131_3.m4a	cyanocephalus (NW NSW)	Contact calls? (female)	© MD
comkoel_20180131_2.m4a	cyanocephalus (NW NSW)	Pair Q&A (simultaneous)	© MD
comkoel_20180131.m4a	cyanocephalus (NW NSW)	Pair Q&A (Female first)	© MD
comkoel_20170121.mp3	cyanocephalus (NW NSW)	Alarm calls, pair	© MD
comkoel_20170121_2.mp3	cyanocephalus (NW NSW)	Alarm calls (human)	© MD
comkoel_20160111_6.m4a	cyanocephalus (NW NSW)	Pair upsetting various species	© MD
comkoel_20160111_2.m4a	cyanocephalus (NW NSW)	Male upseting Apostlebirds	© MD
comkoel_20160111_7.m4a	cyanocephalus (NW NSW)	Female annoyed/upset (by Magpie-lark)	© MD
comkoel_20160111_11.mp3	cyanocephalus (NW NSW)	Female annoyed/upset (by Magpie-lark & Apostlebird)	© MD
comkoel_20160111_14.mp3	cyanocephalus (NW NSW)	Female attacked (by Magpie-lark)	© MD
comkoel_20160111_3.m4a	cyanocephalus (NW NSW)	Female chased away by Magpie-larks and Apostlebirds	© MD
comkoel_pb_20201112.m4a	subcyanocephalus (Top End, NT)	Male calling female ("cooee")	© PB
comkoel_pb_20190828.m4a	subcyanocephalus (Top End, NT)	Contact calls? (female)	© PB
comkoel_pb_20201205.m4a	subcyanocephalus (Top End, NT)	Q&A (3 birds)	© PB

More Australian (Pacific) Koel sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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