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Blue-winged KookaburraAlternate name(s): "Leach's Kingfisher", "Blue-rumped Kingfisher", "Howling Jackass", "Barking Jackass", "Queensland Kookaburra" ![]() Size: 38-42 cm Weight: 260-330 g |
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Similar |
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Photos |
Race "leachii"
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ADULT |
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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 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]
Dorsal view of a male Blue-winged Kookaburra
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Loyalty Beach, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]
Dorsal view of a male Blue-winged Kookaburra
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]
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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]
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PAIR |
Pair of Blue-winged Kookaburras, female at lower right
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Manton Dam, near Darwin, NT, September 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]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
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]
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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.
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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]
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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 |
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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]
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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]
Frontal view of a Blue-winged Kookaburra that has caught
a huntsman spider
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]
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]
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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) | © ME | |
blwkook_me_20190808.m4a |
leachii (Far-N QLD) |
Territorial calls (pair) | © ME |
More Blue-winged Kookaburra sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.