Kookaburras have a diverse diet and unique hunting techniques that set them apart from other birds. Given the extended range and the large stable population, the species is evaluated as of «least concern» by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The population density of the laughing kookaburra in Australia varies between 0.04 and 0.8 birds/ha depending on the habitat. The male then offers her his current catch accompanied with an «oo oo oo» sound. Around Cooktown the laughing kookaburra tends to favour areas near water while the blue-winged kookaburra keeps to drier habitats.
For a comparison of all four kookaburra species – including free sports tips the rufous-bellied and spangled kookaburra – see the Kookaburra Species and Types overview. If that sounds more like a bird of prey than a kingfisher, that is because behaviourally, the kookaburra occupies a similar ecological niche. Most people picture a kingfisher as a small, jewel-coloured bird diving for fish near a creek.
The Kookaburra’s Menu: A Hunter’s Diet
Their iconic call not only marks the dawn and dusk but also serves as a territorial signal. From their unique diet to their family-oriented behavior, kookaburras have a lot to offer. Known for their distinctive call, which sounds like human laughter, these birds have captured the imagination of many. Their diet includes insects, small mammals, and even snakes.
Relationship with humans
Assuming an average of 0.3 birds/ha the total population may be as large as 65 million individuals. It is not uncommon for kookaburras to snatch food out of people’s hands without warning, by swooping in from a distance. Novaeguineae will open its beak, ruffle up the feathers surrounding its cap, and angle their heads towards the direction of the threat. Laughing kookaburras will splay out their wings and propel their head forward while shaking their tail feathers to exhibit dominance and ward off intruders.
Conservation and Threats
The kookaburra’s call is the unofficial sound of the Australian bush – used in film scores, tourism campaigns and childhood memories. It has been introduced to Western Australia, Tasmania, Kangaroo Island and New Zealand, where it is now established but not native. Males have a subtle blue tinge on the rump and tail; females tend toward rufous-brown in the same area.
What do laughing kookaburras sound like?
The genus Dacelo contains four kookaburra species of which the rufous-bellied kookaburra and the spangled kookaburra are restricted to New Guinea and islands in the Torres Straits. Its diet includes lizards, insects, worms, snakes, mice and it is known to take goldfish out of garden ponds. When the chicks fledge they continue to be fed by the group for six to ten weeks until they are able to forage independently. The youngest of the three nestlings or chicks is often killed by the older siblings. A breeding pair can be accompanied by up to five fully grown non-breeding offspring from previous years that help the parents defend their territory and raise their young. The laughing kookaburra is native to eastern mainland Australia, but has also been introduced to parts of New Zealand, Tasmania, and Western Australia.
Diet
In loose family groups, kookaburras inhabit woodland areas, including forests, and their laughter is utilized like many other bird calls—to define territorial boundaries. The eastern Queensland territory, ranging from the Cape York Peninsula to the vicinity of Brisbane, sees a conjunction of the laughing kookaburra’s range with that of the blue-winged kookaburra. This bird is more frequently found in areas where the understory is sparse and open or where grassy ground cover prevails.
Kookaburra, (species Dacelo novaeguineae), eastern Australian bird of the kingfisher family (Alcedinidae), whose call sounds like fiendish laughter. Both sexes participate equally in territorial calling and cooperative nesting. Males typically show a blue-green or turquoise tinge in this area; females have more rufous-brown tones.
Their preferred habitats are generally areas with sufficient tree cover for nesting and perching, combined with open ground for hunting. Protecting bushland habitat helps ensure kookaburras continue to survive in urban and natural environments. The female lays several white eggs, and both parents help incubate the eggs and care for the chicks after they hatch.
Explore related fact sheets about birds, reptiles, invertebrates, tree habitats, eucalypt forests, woodland ecosystems and food webs. By eating insects, rodents and reptiles, they help keep animal populations balanced. They are commonly found in eucalyptus forests, woodlands, open bushland, parks, school grounds and suburban gardens. Kookaburras are famous for their loud laughing calls, which sound like a group of people laughing together.
Laughing kookaburras have a large head, strong beak and sturdy body. Laughing kookaburras are called guganigine by the Darug people of the Sydney Basin. Understanding kookaburras helps us appreciate the rich biodiversity of our planet.
The female generally lays a clutch of three semi-glossy, white, rounded eggs, measuring 36 mm × 45 mm (1.4 in × 1.8 in), at about two-day intervals. However, some observers maintain that the opposite happens – the female approaches the male with her current catch and offers it to him. The female adopts a begging posture and vocalises like a young bird. Most species of kookaburras tend to live in family units, with offspring helping the parents hunt and care for the next generation of offspring.
The territorial calling behavior of neither species resembles that of the laughing kookaburra or the blue-winged kookaburra. The blue-winged kookaburra has a pale blue or white eye in males, as opposed to the brown eye seen in the laughing kookaburra. One of the subtle differences in coloration between the sexes is the blue present on the male’s tail and rump; females usually exhibit more rufous and brown hues in that area. The overall appearance is of a bird that is compact and grounded—heavy in the front, purposeful, and not overly showy. With a large, blocky head relative to its body, it has a long, heavy bill that is dark brown on top and lighter beneath. Measuring between 28 and 42 centimeters from the tip of the bill to the tail and weighing 300 to 480 grams, adults are the largest among the four kookaburra species.