Living in Singapore, many of us may be very familiar with the loud and distinct calls (or noises) of the Asian Koel, otherwise commonly labelled as the “uwu bird”. These continuous series of high-pitched “uwu” calls can be heard from as early as 5am in the morning, with some lasting until the night near residential estates (National Parks Board, 2021).
While some Singaporeans are completely unaffected by the sound, with a handful of older residents attributing these calls to nostalgic kampong life, others have perceived them to be “loud and annoying”(Chew, 2021) , with one agitated and awakened resident even going into an “oi” battle against the bird’s incessant calls in the early hours of the morning.
With these large cuckoo birds being a recognised source of environmental noise pollution especially during their mating period between October to December and seen as a public nuisance by many (Chew, 2021), why is this bird species still being protected under the Wild Animals and Birds Act (Low, 2021)?
To begin with, the Asian Koel plays an integral ecological role in managing the house crow population in Singapore (National Parks Board, 2021). As a brood parasite, the Asian Koel lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, such as house crows, removing the hosts’ eggs from these unattended nests (National Parks Board, 2021). In doing so, it helps to control the population of house crows, and more importantly invasive bird species and pests in Singapore (Brook et al., 2003).
To manage the rising noise complaints regarding noise disturbances by Asian Koels in a sustainable and humane way, the National Parks Board (NParks) has set in place some mitigation measures to prevent these birds from roosting in residential areas such as tree pruning and replacement to remove food sources for them (Low, 2021). In addition, NParks has also made efforts to remove the nests of house crows, facilitating the management of the Asian Koel population more effectively (Chew, 2021).
Moving forward, it is important that we deal with potential sources of wildlife noise pollution from a holistic and context-driven angle to ensure the maintenance of an ecological balance and encourage harmonious, symbiotic relationships with our native wildlife species (Chew, 2021).
References:
Brook, B. W., Sodhi, N. S., Soh, M. C., & Lim, H. C. (2003). Abundance and projected control of invasive house crows in Singapore. The Journal of wildlife management, 808-817.
Chew, H.M. (2021). Heard this bird? Koels’ piercing call divides residents. Retrieved 13 February 2022, from https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/koels-uwu-bird-call-residents-complaints-2254161
Low, Y. (2021). Parliament in brief: Clawing back Jobs Support Scheme overpayments, alternative work venues for public servants, noisy birds. Retrieved 13 February 2022, from https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/parliament-brief-clawing-back-jobs-support-scheme-overpayments-alternative-work-venues
National Parks Board. Asian Koels. Retrieved 13 February 2022, from https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/dos-and-donts/animal-advisories/asian-koels#:~:text=The%20Koel%20makes%20a%20variety,sometimes%20be%20heard%20till%20night.