Animals

Good Morning Koh Chang! Nature’s Alarm Clock A.k.a That F$%#ing Annoying Bird.

Asian Koel

That is the Asian Koel.  If you don’t live in Asia it won’t mean much to you.  If you do then you will probably have heard these birds which are especially vocal during mating season.  And right now it’s the time of year for Koh Chang’s horny Asian Koel population to make their voice heard.

It’s all very nice being woken up by the sound of bird calls when they are of the cute, tweeting variety.  But, it’s an entirely different matter when you have a loud, repetitive  ‘Koo-Ooooo’ at 4am in the morning.  It wouldn’t be so bad if the range of these birds calls was limited to a small area, but it isn’t.  You can hear them from a kilometer away.  ( They are members of the Cuckoo family ) I’ve heard them in the city centre in Bangkok – above traffic noise.

So, you can imagine if you are in quiet surroundings and a lovesick male  suddenly pipes up from a tree outside your room, or from a tree 100 metres away, you won’t be getting much sleep.  Fortunately, the mating season is only a couple of months long – on Koh Chang from mid-December to February.

To get an idea of what to expect, turn the volume up full on the video below.

13 Comments

  • dear roosters of Ecuador,
    I apologize whole heartedly for ever thinking your screeching at all hours was annoying. you are wonderful and I wish they could export this horrible creature and import you to Thailand.

  • I love these birds and their song.. I honestly consider myself blessed to be here to hear them.. I even love roosters a whole heck of a lot, and LOVE to hear roosters in the morning, or anytime of day for that matter.. But, yes, to the Koel bird and it’s beautiful song! Up up with nature!

  • Asian Koel. I just discover the name thanks to you. I get some close to my condo in Bangkok soi 101, they woke up me at 04 am, and make me crazy. literally hate this bird…

  • We have these birds, and I rather like their song! But there is a nocturnal bird here in HuaHin that SCREECHES incessantly! Large flocks of them, very loudly, in the middle of the night. I can’t see them in the dark and do not know what they are

  • That’s my baby. I call them the “Oh Wow” bird because of the call and “oh wow” Thailand. Love it here and thanks. PV PS It would be cool to find the densest population and stand in the middle and listen to the “OH WOW’S……” Horny as a bird? Maybe.

  • Having heard this a million times on the Island, I always thought it was the black Myna birds, but now I know. Thanx

  • Yes, annoying – and they’ve spread and settled into Australia very well. They are a type of cuckoo (leaving their eggs in other birds’ nests for them to raise) and here their main choice for host is the red wattle bird. The koel is a nasty piece of work.

  • This bird is extremely annoying and definitely a noise pollution source.

    And yes they shout like nobody’s business both early in the morning and throughout the day. I’m tempted to wake them up when they are asleep, if there’s a way.

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Koh Chang Island Guide For Independent Travellers