canberrabirds

Reporting Koels - why?

To: "'COG List'" <>
Subject: Reporting Koels - why?
From: "Shaun Bagley" <>
Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2008 22:02:43 +1100

While I understand Alistair’s frustration with the number of calling Koel reports, I support Geoffrey’s comment that breeding activity is what we need to hear about so knowing where they are and when they are calling may help.  For instance I live within a kilometre of Geoffrey and of the Griffith shops where Koels have been recorded calling at different times. I’m prepared to accept that the call may be by the same bird. However, this morning as the sparrows indulged in their colonic explosion, I heard what sounded like two Koels. The typical hopeful “koel?” followed by more guttural calls, similar to those I have heard in Sydney and last year in Goulburn when both sexes were present and mating. Brief as it was, it was different.  I’m not holding my breath at either end but perhaps breeding will occur.

 

Regards

 

Shaun

 

From: Geoffrey Dabb [
Sent: Thursday, 6 November 2008 8:18 PM
To: 'COG List'
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Reporting Koels - why?

 

Exactly.  But this is an issue with many other species.  At the moment, the spoonbills are equally  over-reported by the ‘me-too’ school.  The antics of these are definitely of interest, but with such species a summarised series of observations made over time (rather than hour by hour, or even day by day) would be much more useful.

 

To get back to the koels, a recurrent issue (over 2-3 years) is the reason for their increased presence.  My guess is that it is the fruit (see previous messages).  Another possibility is the number of potentially-hosting nesting Red Wattlebirds, as Peter and Anthony have suggested – but surely these have been around for many years.  I do not think we have had a single confirmed breeding event.  Indeed there have been relatively few reports of females, perhaps about 1 in 10 reports.  May I suggest that people be encouraged to report any sign of breeding activity?  It may be (just a guess) that in the absence of such Canberra is an outpost being colonised by young hopefully-breeding ingénues, being driven on by the frantic  breeding activity to our east.  

 

From: Alastair Smith [
Sent: Thursday, 6 November 2008 5:56 PM
To: 'COG List'
Subject: [canberrabirds] Reporting Koels - why?

 

Am I the only person who finds the incessant reporting of Koels on Canberrabirds as incessant as the bird’s call? While I respect everyone’s right to report sightings and hearings, can we please report what is interesting or different, rather than every time the bird engages in syringeal expansion.

Many thanks

Alastair

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