1. a large cuckoo bird found in Asia and Australia, known for its loud call

Examples

• The koel’s distinctive call woke us up at dawn.
• We spotted a male koel with its glossy black feathers in the mango tree.
• The female koel is brown and speckled, unlike the black male.
• Koels are brood parasites that lay their eggs in other birds’ nests.
• The loud koel calls are especially common during the breeding season.
• Children in India often learn to recognize the koel’s melodic song.