Foreigner Living In S’pore Confused By The "Uwu" Bird's Call, Didn't Know It Belonged To A Bird

Those of us living in Singapore would be familiar with the loud calls of the koel. You know, the one that goes “u-uwu” repeatedly, especially on mornings you want to sleep in. 

Never have we considered that the calls might sound strange to people who don't live here.

Douyin user Catbear recently took to the platform to share a clip of the koel’s distinctive call reverberating throughout her neighbourhood. 

She wrote: “Singapore!! Turn up the volume and listen to this. Can anyone tell me what is happening!!”

Catbear also included the hashtag “weird sound” in her caption, adding that she hears the same sound every night and day. 

She’s presumably new to Singapore, and many netizens were kind enough to explain the root of her confusion. 

“This is the call of the koel, and when we hear it in the morning, we know it’s time to leave the house for school!” wrote a Singaporean, while another added: “It’s the Asian koel. It has red eyes and is very commonly found around the country.”

Surprisingly, most netizens expressed their fondness for the koel’s call, with very few finding it “annoying”.

“You’re lucky to hear this sound in the city. I used to live near a garden and could hear the calls all the time, but I haven’t heard it since I moved to a condominium. I miss it,” read a comment.

Replying to another comment, Catbear revealed that she has seen the koel around, but never knew that it was their call.

Looks like the koel is giving her a very warm Singapore welcome.