12/01/2026
Spotted by the eagle-eyed Toohey Forest Wildlife team!
High up in the treetops, they captured a Noisy Friarbird (Philemon corniculatus) feeding its very large chick… except that chick isn’t its own!
Meet the Pacific Koel (Eudynamys orientalis), a migratory cuckoo that visits Australia in summer. Koels lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, leaving the unsuspecting hosts to raise their young. The Koel chick grows fast and outcompetes any Friarbird chicks, often leaving them to starve or pushing them out of the nest.
This fascinating (and ruthless) survival strategy is called brood parasitism—a reminder of how complex and competitive nature can be!
Griffith University
