Many thanks David, that’s the third Eastern Koel fledgling that has come to my attention this season, when recently fledged they can typically be very hard to actually see as they tend to stay
hidden in the dense foliage. It should emerge from there in the next week or so.
Also a very interesting interaction between the two female Koels and the RWB hosts, which while often thought of as “naïve” certainly can be aggressive towards Koels. With all the activity
over the past 6 weeks I have observed quite a few more examples of that. Interesting too, is the possible interaction between the female Koels and the fledgling. In Section 4.2 of my summary of the rise and rise of the Eastern Koel in the ACT [CBN,
46, 105-118 (20210], I discuss the evidence for this possibility and conclude that the question can only be answered by much more detailed studies than the “citizen science” ones I have been conducting on the Eastern Koel over the past nearly 10 years.
Jack Holland
From: Canberrabirds
<> On Behalf Of Dr David Rosalky
Sent: Saturday, December 16, 2023 8:51 AM
To: COG bird list <>
Subject: [Canberrabirds] Koel activity
A big Koel morning in my GBS precinct. On the corner of Gawler and Northcote Crescents in Deakin, these were two noisy female Koels being harassed by RWBs – but not chased
away. They kept coming back. There was also a male calling at some distance.
The RWBs were busy, including growling at me to drive me away and carrying food. Then I heard the tell-tale chirp of a Koel fledgling. It must have been very close to me
but so well hidden in the foliage that I could not get a visual confirmation. But, no doubt, a Koel fledgling.
I am intrigued though what the two females were doing – perhaps Mum with a maternal instinct (do cuckoos have that?) but aunty as well?
David Rosalky
