Asian Koel
Eudynamys scolopaceus
A large cuckoo, distinctive in all plumages, but usually secretive, keeping to the interior of dense trees in many habitats, even inner cities and fields. Adult males glossy black with dull lime-green bill; females and immatures blackish brown with white dots on the wings and strong streaking on head and throat. Adults have ruby-red eyes. Females lay eggs in the nests of other large birds, including crows, shrikes, and starlings. Song is a loud, persistent “ko-EL!” similar to a peacock’s call.
识别特征
The Asian koel is a large and long-tailed cuckoo measuring 39–46 cm (15–18 in) and weighing 190–327 g (6.7–11.5 oz). The male of the nominate race is glossy bluish-black, with a pale greenish grey bill, the iris is crimson, and it has grey legs and feet. The female of the nominate race is brownish on the crown and has rufous streaks on the head. The back, rump and wing coverts are dark brown with white and buff spots. The underparts are whitish, but is heavily striped. The other subspecies differ in colouration and size. The upper plumage of young birds is more like that of the male and they have a black beak.They are very vocal during the breeding season (March to August in the Indian Subcontinent), with a range of different calls. The familiar song of the male is a repeated koo-Ooo. The female makes a shrill kik-kik-kik... call. Calls vary across populations.<p>They show a pattern of moult that differs from those of other parasitic cuckoos. The outer primaries show a transilient (alternating) ascending moult (P9-7-5-10-8-6) while the inner primaries are moulted in stepwise descending order (1-2-3-4).(Payne citing Stresemann and Stresemann 1961)
分类信息
In 1747, the English naturalist George Edwards included an illustration and a description of the Asian koel in the second volume of his A Natural History of Uncommon Birds. He used the English name "The Brown and Spotted Indian Cuckow". Edwards based his hand-coloured etching on a specimen from Bengal that belonged to the London silk-pattern designer and naturalist Joseph Dandridge. When in 1758 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the tenth edition, he placed the Asian koel with the other cuckoos in the genus Cuculus. Linnaeus included a brief description, coined the binomial name Cuculus scolopaceus and cited Edwards' work. The Asian koel is now placed in the genus Eudynamys that was introduced in 1827 by the English naturalists Nicholas Vigors and Thomas Horsfield. The genus name Eudynamys combines the Ancient Greek eu meaning "fine" with dunamis meaning "power" or "strength". The specific epithet scolopaceus is Modern Latin meaning "snipe-like" from Latin scolopax meaning "snipe" or "woodcock".<p>The species has variations within its wide range with several island populations and a number of taxonomic variations have been suggested. The black-billed koel (E. melanorhynchus) of the Sulawesi region and the Pacific koel of Australasia are sometimes considered conspecific with the Asian koel in which case the "combined" species is known as the common koel. Due to differences in plumage, colour of bill and voice, the three are increasingly treated as separate species. Alternatively, only the black-billed koel has been considered as a separate species, or the Asian koel has included all subspecies otherwise included in the Pacific koel, except for the subspecies breeding in Australia, which then has the name Australian koel (E. cyanocephalus).<p>The Asian koel has several geographic forms that have well marked plumage differences or have been geographically isolated with little gene flow. The following is a list of named subspecies with their distributions and synonyms as given by Payne:
- 学名
- Eudynamys scolopaceus
- 命名信息
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- 目
- Cuculiformes
- 科
- Cuculidae
- 属
- Eudynamys
分布与栖息地
The Asian koel is a bird of light woodland and cultivation. It is a mainly resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from Iran, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to southern China and the Greater Sundas. They have great potential in colonizing new areas, and were among the pioneer birds to colonize the volcanic island of Krakatau. They first arrived in Singapore in the 1980s and became very common birds.<p>Some populations may make long-distance movements being found in places like Australia.
- 迁徙
- Complete migrants
行为
Migration pattern: Complete migrants.
保护状况
Population trend: stable.
- 种群趋势
- stable
照片
鸟叫声
其他鸟类
Black-capped Bulbul
Rubigula melanictera
Medium-sized greenish bird with a bright yellow underside and black head. Occurs in a variety of habitats, wherever there are trees, including forest, open woodlands, and gardens, in the lowlands and foothills. Usually encountered in pairs or small groups. Yellow throat and lack of black in the wing separates this species from Black-hooded Oriole. Unmarked, black head identifies Black-capped Bulbul from Yellow-eared and Yellow-browed Bulbuls. Song is series of warbling whistles, rising at the end, “wet-wet-wet-wer-wer-wer-weer.” Also gives churring calls.
White-throated Caracara
Daptrius albogularis
Uncommon in southern Andes; range does not overlap with Mountain Caracara. Favors open habitats above treeline, but also ranges lower to scavenge at dumps and in farmland with open trees. Often associates with Chimango and Crested Caracaras at the dump outside Ushuaia, Argentina. Sails, soars, and tumbles easily on updrafts. Adult is handsome and strikingly patterned black-and-white with creamy white underparts and a bold white tail tip. Juvenile is rather similar to smaller Chimango Caracara, but distinguished by black (not pale) bill.
Palawan Sunbird
Cinnyris aurora
Tiny and active sunbird of forest edges and open woodlands, endemic to Palawan. Male is olive-gray above, with an extensive iridescent blue-black throat, an orange breast patch, and a pale yellow belly. Female is olive above, with a bright yellow eyebrow and underparts; compare with the smaller and duller female Lovely Sunbird, as well as the larger and duller Brown-throated Sunbird. In both sexes, note white tail edges that are flared out in flight. Gives a bright, fizzy song and rising “weet?” notes. Formerly grouped with other, closely related species under “Olive-backed Sunbird.”
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