Please identify this bird for me

Yes sir, thats a Koel.

Considered a delicacy in southern India.
See below for the most popular recipe.

Ingredients (serves 4)
1 cup thick, plain yoghurt
1 garlic clove, crushed
2cm piece ginger, peeled, grated
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
6 koel Birds, De Boned
cooked rice and lemon wedges, to serve

Method
Combine yoghurt, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, oil, spices and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large ceramic bowl. Cut 2 slits in top of each Koel Breast, making sure not to cut all the way through. Add Koel peices to yoghurt mixture and turn to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 220°C. Grease and line a large baking dish. Place Koel in dish and roast for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with rice and lemon.

Enjoy!!

Chef4hire
18000Eatme

They're beutiful birds, to bad they're always hiding up the tallest tree in the neighbourhood so I can't get a decent photo. Lol chef4hire, you've got to be kidding me mate. And also Holly, why do the host parents raise it? Can't they tell it's not one of their own or do they know it's not theirs but raise it anyway?

Well Windhover, I can answer that question now. I recently watched a show on Cuckoos on the ABC with some great research by Professor Davies. Basically the Cuckoo flies to the nest (the timing has to be perfect, otherwise the cuckoo might hatch too late etc. Also if the host bird sees the cuckoo on the nest because it lays too slow then it is more likely to reject the egg that it lays. Generally the cuckoo takes about 10 seconds to get on the nest, eat/dipose of an existing egg and lay its own) at the right time and eats one of the eggs and lays its own, each mother specialises its eggs in mimicry to the specific host parent. For example the Cuckoos in the show layed eggs similar to that of their host bad, the Oriental Reed Warbler, but a cuckoo with a different type of host would lay a different coloured and sized egg to mimic it. But if the egg differed in colour or size too greatly the host would throw the egg out, so the mimicry is vital. After it lays it the Warbler would carry on as normal until the cuckoo hatched, now here is the amazing part. The blind baby cuckoo only 24 hours old would follow it's first insticts and it would literally push out the other eggs and if there was a baby Warbler it would push that out too (the video of it pushing it out the other chick sickened me, but amazing none the less) so it can get the most food, and if there was another chick they're wouldn't be enough room as it is so large compared to the nest. Then after that it used it's constant call for food to drive the parents (who obviously haven't notcied the difference) to feed it more than 10 times what they would usually feed a normal pack of 4/5 hungry chicks, if it calls for food, it will get it, the incessant call is what allows it too get so much food. After about 7-8(?) weeks the cuckoo is ready to leave the nest and begins the journey back to where ever its parents came from which not all make but if it does it will come back next year and trick the warbler's again. They only stay for about 10 weeks and then leave again, but it was an amazing documentry to watch, just google 'Professor Davies Cuckoo' and it will come up with a ton of links so you can read into it further or because what I just said made no sense at all, however numbers are in decline. Here's a link I found after watching the show, it explains it a bit better i think. http://www.wicken.org.uk/pressrelease_cuckoo.htm Hope you enjoy reading

Isn't that amazing Amateur? I saw heaps of Koel chicks over summer and heard lots of channel bills here too. It amazes me that nature has made them this way ( or they have evolved over time like this). I mean.... what is wrong with just building a nest and laying your own egg in it!!! It begs the question as to why they exist. I mean many parasites in the world serve a secondary purpose to their host, but how do these benefit anyone except their own chick?
I will have to follow up on your links. BTW... when do you get time for school work or study? You must spend heaps of time observing and researching birds LOL

Cheers Amateur

Birdie

Ha ha.... you must do some I am sure. Just as well I have a 12 yr old daughter so I at least have a chance of learning the txt lingo isn't it?

I saw a first for me today... a seabird , very large and dark brown patterned wings. Long pointy bill and soared around looking for fish in the river then dived straight down. Large as in 40 - 50 cm. I am still researching it..any ideas?
There was just a pair of them and I have never seen one before

Cheers

Birdie

I was thinking Skua or Juv. Pacific Gull

I had thought of all the above culprits actually. But Tassie came up with a brown Booby after seeing a bad shot I took. I have another one now and will post when I get a chance. I saw one again today when i had a real camera.

Thanks for the suggestions

Cheers

Birdie

I had thought of all the above culprits actually. But Tassie came up with a brown Booby after seeing a bad shot I took. I have another one now and will post when I get a chance. I saw one again today when i had a real camera.

Thanks for the suggestions

Cheers

Birdie