DEC 6, 2025 (IMP): The ‘Kokil’ or ‘Cuckoo’, the bird we all know for singing melodies often dubbed as the ‘nightingale’ in various literary works, is reported to have increased its population in Manipur, and experts opined that it may be due to an increase in temperature, as hot weather conditions are more opportune and preferred for this bird species.
Before the 1980s, the temperature in Manipur was recorded around 30 degrees Celsius with slight fluctuations. However, due to deforestation, last summer temperatures rose to around 40 degrees Celsius in the state.
The Indian cuckoo, known as ‘Koel’ in the Hindi-speaking belt, has been seen and heard with their sweet chant in various parts of Manipur, including the Lamlongei-Shiv Mandir Trail and areas near Loktak Lake, and the Jacobin cuckoo, also known as the pied cuckoo, has been heard in areas like Thiyam Konjil in Manipur’s Thoubal district.
As brood parasites, cuckoos lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, such as the Chonga Amubi (house myna), which then raise the cuckoo chicks.
