Koel and rain
Posted by BESG on 8 April 07, Sunday
Contributed by YC
Cuckoos in folklore are known as weatherbirds. And in most continents they are known as “rainbirds” or ‘stormbirds” because they call incessantly early in the rainy season. Koels, being cuckoos, are similarly known as rain- or stormbirds.
The call of the koel and the coming rain may be coincidental. In Queensland, with the coming of summer, so does the rain. This is also the time when the Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea) starts calling day and night. But the bird calls only because it is the breeding season, not because of the coming rain.
In my area koel is commonly heard mostly between mid-October to February, after which it can be heard only occasionally.
Three times within the last two weeks I heard the call of the koel just before and during rain. The first time was during a light drizzle in the late afternoon; then during a heavier drizzle in the evening. In this latter case the bird was taking shelter in a nearby tree. The third time it called just as lightning was flashing and thunder was rolling. The rain was just beginning to fall. But once it started to rain, the bird was quiet.
Then this afternoon, when it was raining not too heavily, a male Asian Koel suddenly flew into my terap tree (Artocarpus odoratissimus). The leaves are large and they provide ample shelter against the rain. The koel belted out a few calls that attracted my attention. The moment I took a look, it stopped calling. It must have seen me first. Then I caught a glimpse of it moving to another branch. After this I could not locate it but it was definitely there.
As the bird was calling koel-koel-kole, the rain fell heavier. Then came the thunder and the lightning. And then the call stopped.
Now, is all these also coincidental? Is there any connection between the call of the koel and rain? The problem is that the bird also calls when there is no rain. But then, when it rains, you do not hear the calls of other birds.
Or do you?
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Categories: Miscellaneous
Comment by Forest Ang
Made Monday, 9 of April , 2007 at 11:29 am
No, I do not believe that Koel has anything to do with the weather. It is merely coincidental! About 20 years ago when I was kayaking for 3 days along the Muda River, Kedah, the weather then was hot and not a drop of rain or any thunder! I heard the calls of the Koels along the river for 3 days!
Agreed that it was the breeding season. And it was April then.
Today as I am writing this comment, I can still hear the Koel calling. Weather - overcast but no rain.
BTW, it is April now.
Forest Ang
Butterworth
Comment by Kitt
Made Saturday, 21 of June , 2008 at 11:13 pm
I too have noted the koel calls on seemingly cloudy times, for example when the weather seemed as if it was going to rain. Incidentally, I more often hear koels singing during crepsular hours, early in the morning or late in the evening. Could it be that they just prefer to call when it seems to be a bit darker ?
Comment by BESG
Made Saturday, 21 of June , 2008 at 11:22 pm
actually, I have heard them call at all times of the day - including very early in the morning and late in the evening.
