Welcome: A Pacific koel has been sighted for the first time in Shepparton.
Photo by
pat Feehan
A Pacific koel, a bird species of cuckoo, has been recorded in Shepparton for the first time.
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“It has never been recorded in Shepparton before, so it is a very new bird to the area,” BirdLife Murray Goulburn president Pat Feehan said.
“It is usually seen in southern Victoria, in east Gippsland and along the east coast.
“It is a summer migratory bird, so comes down from New Guinea and Indonesia every year about this time to breed and then goes back about March April.
Mr Feehan recognised the bird through its distinctive loud call.
“They are very hard to see, they are much easier to hear,” Mr Feehan said.
“They tend to get up into the top of trees and into hiding places and the call is the thing that alerts you to them.
“It is horrible, more than a bit annoying, it was going at 4.30am this morning.
Anybody there: A Pacific koel distinctive loud call.
Photo by
pat Feehan
“In Melbourne apparently you see records of people complaining about its noise, it is a honk honk, honk honk.”
The call is a high pitched, very loud ‘coo-ee’ and a longer ‘wirra-wirra-wirra’ similar to a car alarm.
The Pacific koel is colloquially known as a rainbird or stormbird, as its call becomes more prevalent before or during stormy weather.
The Pacific koel that has been found in north Shepparton, around Balaclava Rd, is a male specifically looking for a mate, hence the continual annoying birdsong.
In the past there have been recorded sightings in Mooroopna, Murchison and a breeding pair found in Benalla.
“It is by itself, it is calling for a mate, but whether it finds a mate or not is anybody’s guess,” Mr Feehan said.
“If it has been blown off course, it might be on its own, it might have to wait a fair while for a mate, where if it was down south, there would be more of the birds, and it probably would find a friend.
“This type of bird has found a friend at Benalla in the past, which is only 60 miles to the east.
“I don’t really know how many of them are around, but I think once you get down into Melbourne, they would be relatively common, but the thing about this one is it is a brand-new record for the region, for the area.”
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