The Laughing Kookaburra

The raucous cackle of the Laughing Kookaburra is an essential feature of the Australian bush and a key part of our region’s dawn and dusk bird chorus. It is instantly identifiable by most people, both by their call, size, and plumage. The Kookaburra is off-white below, faintly barred with dark brown, and brown on the back and wings. The tail is more rufous, broadly barred with black. There is a conspicuous dark brown eye-stripe through the face. It is the largest member of the kingfisher family, which has over 80 species worldwide. Laughing Kookaburras are found throughout eastern Australia. Unfortunately they have become a pest in places where they have been introduced including Tasmania, the extreme south-west of Western Australia, and New Zealand. Elsewhere in Australia, they are replaced by the Blue-winged Kookaburra in central northern and north-western Australia, with some overlap in Queensland. Locally, the Laughing Kookaburra is found in most areas where there are woodlands with suitable large trees, especially the redgum forests along our waterways. Laughing Kookaburras have a varied diet that includes mostly insects, worms, lizards and crustaceans such as yabbies and shrimp, although small snakes, mammals, frogs, and birds may also be eaten. Prey is seized by pouncing from a suitable perch. Small prey is eaten whole, but larger prey is killed by smashing it against the ground or tree branch so that it can be swallowed. Like other kingfishers, they spend much of their time quietly observing from an ideally situated dead branch and waiting to trap unsuspecting prey. Laughing Kookaburras mostly pair for life. Nesting occurs in a bare chamber in a relatively large tree hollow with a flattened entrance hole, so that the chicks can reverse backwards and excrete over the side. This is apparently important for carnivorous birds like Kookaburras so that they can minimise parasites in the nest. Both sexes share the incubation duties and care for the young. Other Laughing Kookaburras, usually offspring of the previous one to two years, act as 'helpers' during the breeding season. Every bird in the group shares all parenting duties. Now Kookaburras can be seen in pairs inspecting potential nest hollows, as breeding will commence soon. If we want to keep hearing the evocative call of the Kookaburra, we need to protect our large hollow bearing trees upon which they depend.

The Laughing Kookaburra

Final decision on Meadow Creek solar pending

Don’t let spring garden growth become summer danger

North East Victoria faces heatwave after coldest start to December since 1987

ENGIE work to house local widlife at solar farm

Before you gift it: Battery warning for Christmas shoppers

Rufous Whistler – arrival of a summer songbird

Bombers go back-to-back in A grade

“No stone unturned” – Police committed to the long-haul in manhunt

Start your engines, Wilby Drags are back

Most popular stories