Koels - why so patchy?

[Tonya Haff <>]

Hi all,

I just moved  to O'Connor, where there is a Koel that calls constantly, and I've noticed that Koel are fairly common in the Inner North.  But I spend quite a lot of time in the botanic gardens (like all day most days for much of the breeding season), and have for the past few years, and I've only rarely ever heard a koel there, despite the fact that there are tons of wattlebirds and orioles that could serve as hosts.  Does anyone know why Koel are more abundant in the suburbs - perhaps a diet of planted trees serves better than natives, and that's more important than host abundance?  Any thoughts of opinions would be appreciated!

Cheers,

Tonya


-- 
Tonya Haff
PhD candidate
Evolution, Ecology and Genetics
Research School of Biology
Australian National University
Mobile:+61-4-3331-2908                                      

Lab: +61-2-6125-5651