Eastern koel and white fig The eastern koel are migratory fruit eaters that prefer warm climates. They forage in the dense foliage of trees bearing small fruits in open woodlands or the outer edges of forests. The female lays a single egg in the nest of another similar sized bird (often friarbirds, crows or honeyeaters), abandoning it to be hatched and raised by the other birds. It is thought that the koel’s eggs have evolved to mimic the eggs of their primary hosts, so the introduced egg goes unnoticed. The white fig (Ficus virens) also takes advantage of a host, germinating in the canopy of another tree where it grows until its roots reach the ground. At this point it takes off, eventually strangling the host tree and becoming a freestanding tree. The top of the purse frame measures 11cm across. The height of the purse (not including balls) is approximately 13cm. The final image in the carousel shows the fabric used for the purse lining.
