Pacific Koel
Eudynamys orientalis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCuculiformes (Cuckoos)
- FamilyCuculidae (Cuckoos)
- GenusEudynamys (True Koels)
- SpeciesEudynamys orientalis (Pacific Koel)
About the Pacific Koel
The Pacific koel (Eudynamys orientalis), also known as the eastern koel or formerly common koel, is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. In northern Australia, it is colloquially known as the rainbird or stormbird.
The Pacific koel was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1766 in the twelfth edition of his Systema Naturae. He placed it with the cuckoos in the genus Cuculus and coined the binomial name Cuculus orientalis. Linnaeus based his account on the "Le Coucou noir des Indes" that had been described and illustrated in 1760 by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in his multi-volume work Ornithologie. The type locality is Ambon Island, one of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The Pacific koel is now placed in the genus Eudynamys that was introduced in 1827 by the naturalists Nicholas Vigors and Thomas Horsfield. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with the Asian koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus) and the black-billed koel (Eudynamys melanorhynchus).
Eight subspecies are recognised: E. o. orientalis (Linnaeus, 1766) – central Moluccas E. o. picatus Müller, S, 1843 – Sumba to Timor (Lesser Sunda Islands) and south Moluccas... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Raja Ampat
Rusty-breasted Cuckoo
Cacomantis variolosus
Channel-billed Cuckoo
Scythrops novaehollandiae
Little Bronze Cuckoo
Chrysococcyx minutillus
Lesser Black Coucal
Centropus bernsteini
Greater Black Coucal
Centropus menbeki
Dwarf Koel
Microdynamis parva
White-crowned Koel
Caliechthrus leucolophus
Oriental Cuckoo
Cuculus optatus
Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo
Cacomantis castaneiventris
Shining Cuckoo
Chrysococcyx lucidus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 11 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 14 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Pacific Koel in Raja Ampat?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Pacific Koel sighting in Raja Ampat, based on 31 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Pacific Koel in Raja Ampat?
October has the highest sighting rate for Pacific Koel in Raja Ampat in our monthly data.