koel

koel (KOH-uhl) - n., any of several long-tail cuckoos (genus Eudynamys) of south-and-southeast Asia, the East Indies, and Australia.



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Exact taxonomy is still under debate, but call it a handful of species with numerous subspecies. Like other cuckoos, they are parasitic, laying eggs in the nests of other birds to be raised by them. The name is from Hindi koyal, from Sanskrit kokila, after the bird's call.

---L.