The Koel’s interesting feeding behaviour – favouring the farmers

[Samrat Sarkar]

The conclusions are -

1. The throat gap of the Asian Koels is larger than that of the other birds. Therefore it is not difficult for them to swallow the pointed gourds whole.

2. Not only the ripe fruits, they can swallow quite large Hairy caterpillars as well whole.

3. But Asian Koels have no role in helping the pointed gourd plants to thrive.

4. One of the main harmful insects for the pointed gourds are the fruit flies. They lay eggs on the partly eaten ripe pointed gourgs.

Fruit flies on partly eaten ripe gourd