Descriptions

Koels are large, fruit-eating, cuckoos that occur abundantly through Asia and Australasia. They get their name form the loud ‘ko-el’ calls which are heard throughout woodlands, parks and gardens, where they parasitise birds like crows, starlings and laughing thrushes. Their chicks grow up alongside the host’s chicks without expelling them. There are several different species and the relationships between them are still being investigated. Males are black and females are heavily barred brown and grey. The Asian koel has a huge range from India and Sri Lanka east to China and the Philippines. This specimen came from Assam and was donated by Mr P. H. Maxwell in 1942.

This object is not on display.