The local Magpie-larks (Maroochydore SEQ) have a remarkable talent for
endeavouring to breed at the wrong time. Most of the other locals (except
Figbirds) tend to breed in August and September, before the Common Koels
arrive back. The female Magpie-lark has never raised anything but Koels,
and each year, the nest is completed as the female Koel returns. Even late
season attempts result in another Koel. This time, I thought the nest was
completed a little earlier and I hoped they would raise their own young, but
not so. The nest was in a tree in the next yard - small suburban blocks -
and the foster-parents faithfully fed the juvenile Koel until Saturday
afternoon. At that time, the juvenile Koel moved from the nest tree into
my yard where it "cooed" softly and happily at me for some time.
Sunday morning, the juvenile was still happily there in a grevillea, until
it was set upon by the male Magpie-lark, soon assisted by the female, and
then joined by 2 Noisy Miners. They chased and harassed the juvenile lower
and lower until it was on the ground and still being attacked by the four
assailants. Suddenly, the male Koel, its biological father, arrived and
joined the juvenile on the ground. It did nothing to chase off the other
birds, and the other birds did not attack the male Koel. All he did was
lend moral support, but it seemed enough to allow the juvenile to escape to
the next yard, and the attacks then ceased.
I have seen a female Koel recognize its off-spring previously, and even feed
them on the odd occasion, and I have seen what I believed to be "rounding up
to leave the country" type behaviour at the end of the season, but I had
never seen a male support its young in any way.
I have only relatively small trees in my yard, and it is great to have close
contact with these Koels. I'm amazed how friendly they are. The current
male was a new bird last season - the previous male did not arrive at the
appointed time, and a few weeks later, this fellow arrived. He has a most
distinctive call, repeating the second syllable of his "coo-ee" call every
so often, so it becomes "coo-ee-ee". Impossible to turn that off in your
head as you can the normal call - excepting of course when they do calls at
about 150 decibels beside at the back door!
Male Koels do not seem to live long, or perhaps they change territories,
which doesn't seen likely. There have been at least 4 different males here
in the period 1996 - 2005. It would be interesting to know their fate.
Are males perhaps killed in Papua New Guinea for food or plumes, or is the
migration too hazardous? They seem to negotiate their time here
successfully, but do not return next season. I don't have any way of
distinguishing female individuals, (I do know of at least one new female) so
cannot say whether they are longer lived. You'd think the odds would be in
the Koel's favour when they don't have to invest the resources to raise
their young.
Any comments or knowledge to add ?????
Robyn
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