- Eudynamys scolopacea
Identification
Distribution
Found from southern Asia, China, and into Australia.
Taxonomy
The Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea, formerly also "Common Koel"), is a member of the order Cuculiformes, which also includes the Roadrunners, the Anis, and Couas. Like many cuckoos, it lays its eggs in other birds' nests.
Asian Koel with thirteen subspecies were split from Australian Koel and Black-billed Koel by some authorities, however, others still think that the best treatment is to consider all three as one species which would then be named Common Koel, Eudynamys scolopacea.
At least one authority goes the other way and want to split subspecies orientalis from the rest of Asian Koel: the new species if accepted would become Pacific Koel, Eudynamys orientalis.
Habitat
Behaviour
A brood parasite.
Other Names
The word koel also means "nightingale" in India because of the Indian Koel's melodious call.
