Greater Coucals

[marco07]

Does anyone know much about these birds?

Greater Coucals! Size of a crow with dark purple/black bodies and copper brown wings with red eyes.

Specifically, do they hang around the same area for life or move around? We have just (in the last month) had a pair take up residence a few yards outside our bedroom in our garden in Phuket and they are incredibly noisy and repetitive starting at 4am. It's waking all 3 kids up as well and they are knackered for school every day.

I would like to get rid of them somehow humanely if anyone knows how. Otherwise the alternative to this may likely have to be a lot harsher as they are proving impossible to live with.

Any help / advice appreciated. Thanks

[isanbirder]

This is their breeding season, so they probably call more often at this time of year. They're very common in most places, so if you get rid of one pair, it is quite likely another will replace them.

The call is quite loud, but I'm surprised at anyone in Thailand being disturbed by them; they're mild compared with most of the manmade noises.

[Mosha]

Same family as cuckoos I think. The female leaves it up to the male once the eggs are laid.

[isanbirder]

Same family as cuckoos I think. The female leaves it up to the male once the eggs are laid.

It is a primitive kind of cuckoo, non-parasitic though. I'm not sure whether the male does all the incubation; I rather doubt it.

[canuckamuck]

For what it is worth, I have noticed that they come and go fairly randomly. You might notice in a few weeks, that all is quiet again.

[KarenBravo]

Pretty strange birds that almost prefer walking over flying.

They are nowhere near as noisy as Koels.

It's breeding season for most native birds in Thailand now, plus there are many migrants here from China.

[isanbirder]

Pretty strange birds that almost prefer walking over flying.

They are nowhere near as noisy as Koels.

It's breeding season for most native birds in Thailand now, plus there are many migrants here from China.

Pretty strange birds that almost prefer walking over flying.

They are nowhere near as noisy as Koels.

It's breeding season for most native birds in Thailand now, plus there are many migrants here from China.

Koels are also closely related to cuckoos. They are parasitic, preferring the Collared Mynah as a host (we have plenty of Collared Mynahs, and I wish the Koels every success).

This year I have been seeing lots of male Koels (black with a red eye) and more females than usual (brown speckled paler).

[harsu]

i love the sound of the coucals. When I first moved here, I thought they were macaque monkeys 'hooping'. I can sleep through their territorial/breeding season increase in noise ( a pair use one of our garden trees as a boundary marker and can be heard calling from early a.m). The bird that drives me up the wall is the koel (which someone else has mentioned). Known in our household as 'the bird of despondancy' ...'Oh, no.....Oh,no..... Oh, no" it goes from about 4am onwards. Once my brain has registered it's call, it won't let go.

For both these species, come the rains. the noise level reduces -- up in Chiangrai anyway.

We also have a lot of pigeons who insist on telling everyone 'it's my birthday' all day, everyday.

Natural sounds add so much to quality of life.

I feel much more settled here now I can pick out and identify the common bird sounds - and identify frequent visitors to the garden - something I took for granted back in the Uk.

[marco07]

Hi, many thanks for everyone's comments and advice. But now I'm wondering if maybe I have accused the wrong birds?

Seems like some are saying the Koel's call is far worse and starts early in the morning.(around 4am in our case).

I haven't seen any birds resembling the Koel and the early morning calls started when I noticed the coucals in the garden.

Their daily low hooting is a great sound.

But this early morning shrieking repeated 8-10 times and then again every few minutes is a killer. Perhaps as someone mentioned, it is just something that happens during the breeding season. if so then great as they are nice bird to look at the coucals and lets hope they get their breeding done quickly!!!

[Goshawk]

Have to say when i first read the OP, i was surprised that anyone would find the Greater Coucal call extremely loud or incredibly noisy. My first reaction was.... its an Asian Koel that he's hearing

....I haven't seen any birds resembling the Koel..

..But this early morning shrieking repeated 8-10 times and then again every few minutes is a killer.

You'd be fairly lucky to actually see a Koel. They're very shy birds usually calling from thick cover and yes, they are early risers & extremely loud.

[tutsiwarrior]

behind our house there is marshland and is an all year nesting area for a lot of species and the 'dawn chorus' from our back terrace is quite animated especially the hooping sounds and the 'oh no, oh no, oh no'...can't see 'em though as the nests are in the marshes, just a glimpse when coming and going...also got a couple of big 'egret trees' close by and flocks of herons in the surrounding rice paddies...in California always known herons to be solitary but these guys sure look like herons to me...

also got a load of fat and well fed monitor lizards lurking about and the nesting area is always quite active...when we first moved in here comes a small one wantin' to come thru the front door and I took a broom and said: 'get outta here, willye?...'...and I was reminded of Blind Faith and:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUW1SGF7bR8

then I chased him to the neighbors' outdoor kitchen and they banged pots and pans and he then ran back to the marsh and found his way home...

Edited March 25, 2012 by tutsiwarrior