Spring is one of my favourite seasons and its arrival is heralded each year by the flowering of the silky oak and jacaranda trees and the early morning call of the Eastern Koel.
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This year the birds returned in the first week of October – an arrival that was unmistakable due to the loud coo-weee call of the male bird looking for a mate.
The alternate but just as loud wurra-wurra-wurra call is perhaps my favourite.
However, not everybody appreciates the presence of the Koel as they often call long before dawn and loudly enough to disrupt people’s sleep.
Koels are members of the cuckoo family and migrate to Northern Australia and South-east Asia around March each year, returning in spring for the breeding season.
The birds are a brood parasite, which means they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds in true cuckoo style.
The male is a glossy black with a long tail and a red eye. The females are brown heavily spotted with white and have a black crown and creamy underparts.
Young birds resemble the female.
They frequent leafy fruiting trees on the edges of rainforests, woodlands and suburban parks and gardens.
In recent years they have become much more common in urban areas perhaps due to the trend to plant native fruiting trees and shrubs in our gardens and as street trees.
Koels, in spite of their vocal behaviour are shy birds and difficult to see, especially the female.
They spend their time hidden in the foliage of trees or skulking around looking for likely nests.
One egg is laid and once hatched the Koel chick grows rapidly and dominates the attention of the host parents causing the other chicks to starve.
Needless to say the presence of adult Koels in the neighbourhood is met with fierce resistance from other birds who may be potential host parents.
Common hosts are Red Wattlebird, Friarbird, Magpie-lark and Figbirds.
Over the last few years Red Wattlebirds have raised young Koel in my garden and will again this year if the behaviour I witnessed a few days ago is any indication.
A preliminary study carried out in Canberra a few years ago indicated that Wattlebirds were the least likely to toss an alien egg out of the nest, so no wonder they are targeted.
I look forward to the young Koel feeding in my Tuckeroo again this year.
