Black Koel with ruby red eye hyper-ventilates with beak open in the hot Indian summer sun

The Asian Koel, a cuckoo species, is a familiar songster and brood parasite that often hides in tree foliage. Its male has a ruby‑red eye and a blackish plumage, while the female is brown and whitish. The male skulks in thick foliage and prefers shaded groves before calling its loud, bubbly cuckoo call, a sound that has inspired many songs in India. The female lays eggs in the nests of other birds, such as crows. Though largely out of view, the Koel can be heard from hidden locations within foliaged trees.