What an incredible Koel fledgling season we're still having

[Tony Nairn via Canberrabirds <>]

Attached recording of juvenile Koel calling in Watson early this afternoon.

I heard an unusual call as I was riding home and found the bird. Pale head, so a juvenile. Tail seemed about as long as adult birds. 

About 1.30 at Kerferd St and the reserve leading to Piddington St. The bird moved from trees in the yard of the last house to a eucalypt in the reserve. Calling all the while. 

Cheers, Tony

On Wed, 17 Mar 2021, 1:09 p.m. , <> wrote:

And such a late and prolonged one.  I’ve now counted close to 270 definitely different fledglings (over 3 times the highest count previously), as well as at least 30 fledglings that may also be different but I’m unable to tell due to insufficient information (often just the suburb is available), so I expect at least 300.

 

And the reports of new ones keep coming.  After I thought they’d gone with the cool morning on Tuesday, yesterday I still had 4 fledglings in my immediate area, including one new that I had heard for a couple of days but hadn’t yet been able to find.    During a more patient look this morning, a Red Wattlebird finally showed me the spot from where the loudish persistent begging was coming from, as it fed it from above a nest.  A look with binoculars just now confirmed it was a Koel chick based on the barred shortish tail and the golden crown.  This is the first time ever I’ve found one first still in the nest of the many fledglings I’ve seen, including the around 20 this season, with at least 5 still present in March.  

 

Previously I’ve only ever had 1 fledgling still around on 1 March, illustrating just how late this season is, with many new ones still found when most have usually departed north around now.  I had been concerned about one that up to a couple of days ago struggled to fly more than 20 m, but the new one still in the nest above has at least 3 weeks of growing up to do before it will be anywhere near ready to do so.   

 

The adults, at least in my area seem to have already gone, with a couple of brief calls about a week ago being the only ones I’ve heard in March.

 

So if you do have any sightings of Koel fledglings I would be very grateful for the date, suburb (with preferably street name or location within the suburb), host species feeding the fledgling (the third ever example of the Noisy Friarbird local host has just been confirmed), and if possible tail length which is a good guide to how long ago it may have fledged.

 

Once again many thanks to the many observers who have already forwarded sightings to me.  Quite a few have seen Koel fledglings for the first time, and many have put in multiple observations including of 2 fledglings (sometimes more) close together which has been a feature of this season.

 

Jack Holland

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