Re:Taxonomy of Koels

[Phil Gregory <>]

Is Common Koel in Australia the same species as the Asian Koel? 
The
scientific name of the Common Koel is different in different books.

Cheers, Jim

Dr Wm James Davis, Editor

Depends on whose taxonomy you follow Jim:
Christidis and Boles 1994 Oz list lump them in E. scolopacea, pending further knowledge of the situation in New Guinea.
Handbook of the Birds of the World lumps the two plus for some bizarre reason the quite different Black-billed Koel (E. melanorhyncha) in Sulawesi. Their cuckoo treatments are a bit odd in some other cases too.
Sibley and Monroe split the Asian and Australian Koel.
Clements edition 5 also splits them as scolopacea and cyanocephala respectively.
The females are certainly pretty distinct, but many calls seem very similar. You pays your money and takes your choice, though a narrow species limit could be helpful here based on the brood parasitism and female plumage differences.
Regards Phil Gregory

Jim Davis wrote:

Is Common Koel in Australia the same species as the Asian Koel?  The
scientific name of the Common Koel is different in different books.

Cheers, Jim

Dr Wm James Davis, Editor

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