Fun Pacific Koel Facts For Kids

The pacific koel (eudynamys orientalis), also known as the eastern koel, is the most abundant and sexually dimorphic member of the cuckoo species. The duetting behaviour of these species incidates the short-term pair-bonding in its polygynous mating system. The adult species are very shy and they are usually heard than seen. However, the fledglings are very conspicuous and they beg loudly for their food from their foster parents.

Pacific koels (eudynamys orientalis) live across the Wallacea east, Solomon islands, Australia, New Guinea and even Indonesia. They are also located in northern and eastern Australia, Nowra, and New South Wales during the breeding season.

Pacific koels (eudynamys orientalis), like many other cuckoo species, are brood-parasites and lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, rather than raising the young themselves. However, the young pacific koel doesn't try to kill the host chicks and they are both raised together. The male pacific koel (eudynamys orientalis) has an entirely glossy black plumage, with blue and green, and striking red eye. Whereas, the female pacific koel (eudynamys orientalis) has brown upperparts, heavily spotted with white, and a black crown. Its underparts are buff-cream with numerous fine black bars. The young pacific koel (eudynamys orientalis) resembles the adult female species, but they have more buff and a darker eye. Surprisingly, there is no information on the pacific koel (eudynamys orientalis) provided by the The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but they are included with the Australian koel and they are considered to be of the Least Concern.  Their population appears to have remained relatively stable over the past decade, with small fluctuations year-to-year probably reflecting the migratory variation rather than changes in the population size of the species.They are not threatened anywhere within their range, and their trend appears stable.

For more relatable content, check out these black cuckoo facts and hummingbird facts pages.

What type of animal is a Pacific koel?

The Pacific koel (eudynamys orientalis) is a genus of cuckoos, which makes it a type of bird and also a brooding parasite.

What class of animal does a Pacific koel belong to?

The Pacific koel (eudynamys orientalis) belongs to the class Aves that includes all birds.

How many Pacific koels are there in the world?

There is no specific number provided for the total population of the pacific koel in the world.

Where does a Pacific koel live?

Pacific koels (eudynamys orientalis) live across the Wallacea east, Solomon islands, Australia, New Guinea and even Indonesia. They are also located in northern and eastern Australia, Nowra, and New South Wales during the breeding season.

What is a Pacific koel's habitat?

The Pacific koel is found in forests, woodland, plantations, gardens, and suburban areas.

Who do Pacific koels live with?

The adult Pacific koel (eudynamys orientalis) species are shy in nature and they prefer to be alone, or in pairs. However, the highest number of koels found together is 10.

How long does a Pacific koel live?

The average lifespan of a koel is 14 years. However, the lifespan of the Pacific koel has not been recorded yet.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season of the Pacific koel (eudynamys orientalis) starts from September till April, and the most breeding occurs in January. The Pacific koel (eudynamys orientalis), like many other cuckoo species, is a brood-parasite and lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, rather than raising the young itself. However, the young Pacific koel doesn't try to kill the host chicks and they are both raised together, like the young channel-billed cuckoos. The common hosts include Anthochaera carnunculata, Little Friarbirds, Magpie-Larks, Australasian Figbirds, Olive-backed Orioles, Noisy Friarbirds, Grallina cyanoleuca, and Red Wattlebirds.

What is their conservation status?

Surprisingly, there is no information on the Pacific koel (eudynamys orientalis) provided by the The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but they are included with the Australian koel and they are considered to be of the Least Concern.

What do Pacific koels look like?

The male Pacific cuckoo has a violet-black and a glossy plumage along with a striking red eye. Whereas, the female pacific koel are tan-brown and heavily-barred. The young Pacific koel resembles the female species, except for having a really dark eye.

How cute are they?

Because of there being no traces of them being friendly with the human beings, the Pacific koel is not considered to be a cute species.

How do they communicate?

A lot is not known about the communication of the Pacific koel  but the male and female species make loud and desperate noises when communicating with each other for mating.

How big is a Pacific koel?

The average length of these species is 15.3-18.11 in (39-46 cm). They are almost the same size as the yellow-billed cuckoo.

How fast can a Pacific koel fly?

No information is provided regarding the flying speed of a Pacific koel.

How much does a Pacific koel weigh?

The average koel weight is 0.42-0.72 lb (190-327 g) but the weight of a Pacific koel has not been recorded yet.

What are the male and female names of the species?

The Pacific koels do not have any sex-specific names. They are simply referred to as male pacific koel and female Pacific koel.

What would you call a baby Pacific koel?

There is no specific name for a baby Pacific koel (eudynamys orientalis).

What do they eat?

The Pacific koel (eudynamys orientalis) is a herbivore and it almost entirely feed in the canopy of trees. Its favorite food includes fruits and figs. However, it is eaten by the snakes.

Are they clever?

There goes a saying, "if a crow is smart, the koel is smarter". Yes, they are considered a clever species.

Would they make a good pet?

Koels are a member of the cuckoo order of the birds and since they are wild animals, they would not make a good pet. It is illegal to keep them as a pet in most of the world.

Did you know...

The Pacific koel, also known as the eastern koel, is often considered to be conspecific with the very rare Asian koel and the black-billed koel.

What sound does the Pacific koel make?

The male species mark their presence by making loud whistles or a sound that goes by "koo-el" monotonously, whereas the female species repeat the sound of "keek-keek-keek-keek". Their calls are usually loud and are even heard during the night-time.

Why are koels called storm birds?

Koels are widely called storm birds or rain birds because they call each other the most during or before the rainy and the stormy season. It is also believed that they have the ability to predict the stormy and the rainy weather conditions.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these bowerbird facts and hummingbird facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Pacific koel coloring pages.