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Blue-winged Kookaburra (Dacelo leachii) Alternate name(s): "Leach's Kingfisher", "Blue-rumped Kingfisher", "Howling Jackass", "Barking Jackass", "Queensland Kookaburra" Aboriginal name(s): "garrukal" [yolngu] Size: 38-42 cm Body mass: 260-330 g

Australia: Family Group 14 Family Group 14 Table Australian Swiftlet Pacific Swift White-throated Needletail Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher Yellow-billed Kingfisher Azure Kingfisher Little Kingfisher Forest Kingfisher Red-backed Kingfisher Torresian Kingfisher Sacred Kingfisher Blue-winged Kookaburra Laughing Kookaburra Rainbow Bee-eater Dollarbird Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Blue-winged Kookaburras are large kingfishers. The head of nominate race "leachii" is grey with brownish striation, the neck is grey and the front (chest, belly, vent) is grey with light brownish barring (it can also be darker, rufous). The wings are dark-brown, with iridescent light-blue shoulder patches. The rump is also light-blue. The tail plumage is dimorphic: Male Blue-winged Kookaburras have a deep-blue uppertail with a tiny white tip, while females have a brown tail with darker brown barring and a wider white tip. Race "occidentalis" has a near-white head and a creamy front. The irises of both races are grey, the massive bill has a dark-grey upper mandible and a cream-coloured lower one. The legs and feet are grey. Twitcher's tip Compared with Laughing Kookaburras, they have much more blue on the wings and males have a blue tail. Also the heavy streaking on the head and the grey irises are good diagnostics.

Taxonomy, classification See Blue-winged Kookaburra at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Blue-winged Kookaburra is available HERE . Blue-winged Kookaburras are found in Australia, on New Guinea and on some smaller islands to the East of New Guinea. In Australia, Blue-winged Kookaburras populate large parts of the tropical North and the north-eastern third of QLD. Race "occidentalis" is found in an area constrained by the catchments of the Fitzroy River and the Gascoyne River in WA. The range of race "leachii" extends from the Kimberley in WA, through the northern half of the NT and Cape York peninsula to the eastern third of QLD (with the exception of the Atherton tablelands). They are not found elsewhere on the continent or in Tasmania. Blue-winged Kookaburras are usually found in open woodland or swamps in the tropical North of Australia.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "leachii" The only time so far we have seen a Blue-winged Kookaburra, race "leachii", was during a visit to the Northern Territory, near Darwin, in October 1997. Since then, numerous contributors have reported to us finding Blue-winged Kookaburra, race "leachii", in and around Darwin, NT, and more generally the Top End of the NT, semi-regularly. J. Greaves reports spotting a pair of Blue-winged Kookaburras, race "leachii", at Alyangula, Groote Eylandt, NT, in September 2014, and on Tiwi Island in September 2016. In January 2016, J. Greaves spotted a Blue-winged Kookaburra, race "leachii", at the Kununurra, WA, sewage treatment works. C. Pears found a pair of Blue-winged Kookaburra, race "leachii", at Cable Beach, Broome, WA, in June 2025. Another large area from which Blue-winged Kookaburra, race "leachii", are regularly reported to us is northern and eastern QLD.

Photos

Race "leachii"

ADULT

PAIR

Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
In the Blue-winged Kookaburra males (left) have a deep-dark blue uppertail, while those of females are chestnut with fine dark-grey barrring.

Near-lateral/dorsal view of a pair of Blue-winged Kookaburras; female at lower right (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Manton Dam, near Darwin, NT, September 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a pair of Blue-winged Kookaburras; male at the top (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Cable Beach, Broome, WA, June 2025]

MALE

Full-frontal view of a male Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Loyalty Beach, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Frontal view of a male Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of S. Kirkby)
[Near Darwin, NT, June 2011]

Near-frontal view of a male Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Loyalty Beach, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Near-frontal view of a male Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, June 2018]

Near-lateral view of a male Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, July 2018]

Lateral view of a male Blue-winged Kookaburra, with a clear view of its blue tail feathers (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Katherine, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a male Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, June 2018]

Lateral view of a male Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Loyalty Beach, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Loyalty Beach, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a male Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Loyalty Beach, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a male Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Stanage Bay, QLD, July 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a male Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of C. Linfoot)
[Close to Mingela, near Townsville, QLD, August 2022]

Near-dorsal view of a male Blue-winged Kookaburra looking sideways (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, June 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a "mean-looking" male Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Oolloo Road crossing, Daly River, NT, August 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a male Blue-winged Kookaburra issuing its call (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Cable Beach, Broome, WA, June 2025]

Dorsal view of a male Blue-winged Kookaburra looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Yungaburra, Atherton Tablelands, QLD, October 2023]

Dorsal view of a male Blue-winged Kookaburra looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Loyalty Beach, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Dorsal view of a male Blue-winged Kookaburra looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Blue-winged Kookaburra; the sex was determined from a different photo of the same bird; the rufous wash may indicate fresh plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mary River Wilderness Retreat, NT, July 2020]

Near-frontal view of a female Blue-winged Kookaburra; note the brown edges to the tail feathers
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Nitmiluk NP, near Katherine, NT, December 2017]

Near-lateral view of a female Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of L. Tonnochy)
[Near Townsville, QLD, summer 2011]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a female Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Paru, Melville Island, NT, September 2016]

Lateral/ventral view of a female Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, July 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a female Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, July 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a female Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Dorsal view of a female Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, July 2020]

Dorsal view of a female Blue-winged Kookaburra; note the prominently visible barred brown tail characterising this bird as a female (photo courtesy of L. Tonnochy)
[Near Townsville, QLD, summer 2011]

Dorsal view of a female Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Nitmiluk NP, near Katherine, NT, December 2017]

Dorsal view of a female Blue-winged Kookaburra with its crest erected (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, June 2019]

Sex unknown

Near-frontal view of a Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Forever Wild Shared Earth Reserve, Mareeba, QLD, October 2020]

Near-lateral view of a Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Forever Wild Shared Earth Reserve, Mareeba, QLD, October 2020]

Lateral view of a Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Musgrave Roadhouse, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Direct comparison between a Blue-winged Kookaburra and a White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Close-up frontal view of an immature Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Carbine, QLD, October 2024]

Close-up frontal view of an immature Blue-winged Kookaburra looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Carbine, QLD, October 2024]

Near-dorsal view of a moulting immature Blue-winged Kookaburra looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Carbine, QLD, October 2024]

Near-dorsal view of a moulting immature Blue-winged Kookaburra (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Carbine, QLD, October 2024]

Female, left, with a dependent juvenile Blue-winged Kookaburra; note the young bird's dark cap and brown tail with blue centre (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Botanical Gardens, Darwin, NT, March 2019]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Aug - Feb

Eggs: 1 - 4

Incubation period: 23 - 25 days

Fledging age: ca. 35 days

Blue-winged Kookaburras may employ helpers from their family clan to assist with the incubation of eggs and feeding the young.

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Tree hollow or arboreal termite mound

Material: N/A

Height above ground: ? m

Frontal view of a Blue-winged Kookaburra looking out of its nest hollow (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Lateral view of a Blue-winged Kookaburra looking into its nest hollow (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 45 x 36 mm

Colour: White

Shape: Rounded

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive

Elementary unit: Family clan

P. Brown observed a juvenile Blue-winged Kookaburra whacking a stick against a branch, probably learning in a playful way to later kill its prey.

Juvenile Blue-winged Kookaburra with a stick (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Botanical Gardens, Darwin, NT, March 2019]

Juvenile Blue-winged Kookaburra whacking its stick against the branch it is sitting on (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Botanical Gardens, Darwin, NT, March 2019]

Food, Diet

Blue-winged Kookaburra with its prey, a locust (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, December 2019]

Blue-winged Kookaburra with its prey, a caterpillar (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Stanage Bay, QLD, July 2021]

Dorsal view of a female Blue-winged Kookaburra with its prey, a crab (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Botanical Gardens, Darwin, NT, March 2019]

The female Blue-winged Kookaburra brought the prey to a perch... (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Botanical Gardens, Darwin, NT, March 2019]

Female, left, with a dependent juvenile Blue-winged Kookaburra; note the young bird's dark cap and brown tail with blue centre (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Botanical Gardens, Darwin, NT, March 2019]

Female Blue-winged Kookaburra handing over the food to its young... (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Botanical Gardens, Darwin, NT, March 2019]

... transfer complete! (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Botanical Gardens, Darwin, NT, March 2019]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

blwkook_pb_20200122.m4a	leachii (Top End, NT)	Territorial calls (3 birds)	© PB
blwkook_me_20190808.m4a	leachii (Far-N QLD)	Territorial calls (pair)	© ME
blwkook_me_20260709.m4a	leachii (Inland NT)	Territorial calls (pair)	© ME

More Blue-winged Kookaburra sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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