S'pore woman goes all out in 'ooh-ah' battle with noisy Asian Koel in neighbourhood

Quite a confusing moment for residents in the neighbourhood.

Zhangxin Zheng | November 15, 2020, 06:09 PM

People living in Singapore will be familiar with the "ooh-ah" bird calls from the Asian Koel.

It certainly can get on residents' nerves, especially if the incessant calls happen during the wee hours.

A woman in Singapore, however, decided to take matters into her own hands.

Woman tries to communicate with koel

With what appears to be an exceptional vocal cord, she mimicked the bird call and had an "ooh-ah" battle with the koel.

The video, by Tiktok user Berkley Pink, was shared by All Singapore Stuff on Nov. 14. It shows that the woman, despite having her mask on, was still able to project the "ooh-ah" loudly.

The bird, not pictured in the video, is likely located on a tree behind the wall. The woman in purple shirt is seen standing on a footpath in the landed property estate.

While it was uncertain what went on between the two of them, the exchange seemed to get more intense towards the end as her pitch became higher.

The woman, appeared to have run out of breath, gave up after 15 seconds with a laugh.

Here's the video:

Not just a noisy bird

The Asian Koel is a large cuckoo bird in Singapore.

These koels used to be rare winter visitors to Singapore. The local population began to establish in the 1990s.

Male koel on the left (Photo by David Tan). Female koel on the right (Photo by Tsang Kwok Choong).

Besides being known for their loud calling (usually by the males), they serve an important ecological function in our urban city.

The koels keep the population of house crows, an invasive species, under control.

Therefore, it is a protected species under the Wildlife Act.

As brood parasites, koels would lay eggs in the nests of other birds. In Singapore, their target is usually the house crows.

If your neighbourhood is troubled by their incessant callings, do contact the Animal Veterinary Service (AVS) or town councils.

Top image via All Singapore Stuff/Facebook

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