This year the pattern of calling by the local koel(s) has been different:
1. Relatively little of the prolonged ‘oo-wop’ call - less frequent, shorter duration and generally more distant (possibly the bird close at hand not doing much at all).
2. Much more of the ‘wurra-wurra’ call, more often heard than the ‘oo-wop’.
3. Quite a bit of the ‘whuh-huh-huh’ call. This is occasionally of the excited kind (I believe given by male or female), but also of the slower kind, sometimes just once (as this morning at 0730), occasionally 3-4 times at intervals. This might be a contact call. Once a fast ‘whikh-ikh-ikh-ikh’, a bit like the blackbird alarm call, was given by a male being chased by wattlebirds.
4. On two occasions this season when 3 birds were about (including 2 males) there was an excited chorus of wurras and whuh-huhs.
5. Most calling is very early-morning by bird(s) moving about. It is hardly worth getting up to investigate the caller because a disappearing bird is often all that is to be seen.
I do not believe there are less koels this year, just a different pattern of calling. I have theories about what is going on, but entirely speculative at this stage.
