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Laughing KookaburraAlternate name(s): "Brown Kingfisher", "Great Kingfisher", "Giant Kingfisher", "Laughing Jackass", "Bushman's Clock", "Settler's Clock" ![]() Size: 40-47 cm Weight: 200-450 g |
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Photos |
Race "novaeguineae"
Not the photos you want? Or are you after even better quality? Have a
look here .
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ADULT |
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PAIR |
Close-up frontal view of a pair of Laughing Kookaburras
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Wetlands, Brisbane, QLD, March 2018]
Close-up near-frontal/near-lateral view of a pair of Laughing Kookaburras
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Cairns, QLD, September 2020]
The Laughing Kookaburra on the left told a joke, then both started
laughing... these two made a
racket
that could be heard more than half a kilometre away
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2010]
Near-lateral view of a pair of Laughing Kookaburras posing for
the camera (photo courtesy of M. Windeyer)
[Gilgandra, NSW, April 2014]
Lateral view of a pair of Laughing Kookaburras
Sex unknown |
Frontal view of a Laughing Kookaburra with its head turned
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, July 2013]
Close-up near-frontal portrait of a "sausage thief"
(photo courtesy of Y. English)
[Gosford, NSW, October 2008]
Near-frontal view of a Laughing Kookaburra waiting to be fed by a human
benefactor (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, July 2013]
Near-frontal view of a Laughing Kookaburra
[Sydney, NSW, April 2006]
Near-frontal/ventral view of a Laughing Kookaburra following the observer
[Moree, NSW, November 2011]
Near-lateral view of a Laughing Kookaburra sitting on a rock,
unafraid of the photographer (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, July 2013]
No, this is not a Laughing Kookaburra with a taste for fashion
accessories; rather, it has got a pesky
Willie Wagtail
on its tail
[Limeburners Creek
NP, NSW, October 2013]
Lateral view of a Laughing Kookaburra checking out the photographer
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, February 2023]
Lateral portrait of a Laughing Kookaburra
(photo courtesy of M. Windeyer)
[Gilgandra, NSW, April 2014]
Lateral portrait of a Laughing Kookaburra
[Yarrie Lake, NSW, August 2013]
Lateral portrait of a
calling
Laughing Kookaburra
(photo courtesy of T. Lawrence)
[Long Beach, NSW, 2003]
Lateral view of a Laughing Kookaburra perched in a
Cypress pine
[Yarrie Lake, NSW, August 2013]
Lateral view of a Laughing Kookaburra
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, May 2006]
Lateral view of a Laughing Kookaburra displaying its crest
Lateral/ventral view of a Laughing Kookaburra issuing its rollicking
call
just before the big cackle starts
[Moree, NSW, November 2011]
Near-dorsal view of a Laughing Kookaburra
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Loch McNess, Yanchep NP, near Perth, WA, January 2015]
Near-dorsal view of a wet Laughing Kookaburra
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Stanage Bay, QLD, July 2021]
Close-up dorsal view of a Laughing Kookaburra
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, July 2013]
Dorsal view of a Laughing Kookaburra
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, March 2006]
Family of Laughing Kookaburras in the top of a dead tree
[Bullawa Creek SCA,
NSW, March 2009]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Juvenile Laughing Kookaburra honing its hunting skills; note the
prominent barring on head and front and the dark lower mandible
characterising this as a young bird
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2010]
Colour variations
Laughing Kookaburras are subject to the occasional colour deviation from normal. Effects known by us to have been observed are "albinism" (lack of colour pigmentation), "leucism" (deficiency of colour pigmentation) and "hyper-melanism" (excess colour pigmentation).
Albinism
Here a bit of a rarity: Two slightly different views of an albino
Laughing Kookaburra; locals from the area where the bird was seen
report that there appears to be a clan which regularly produces
albinos. Another albino was later seen by us in the township of
Narrabri, NSW
[Near Narrabri, NSW, August 2006]
Leucism
Frontal view of a
leucistic
Laughing Kookaburra, with a deficiency of colour pigmentation
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, December 2019]
Near-frontal view of a
leucistic
Laughing Kookaburra (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, December 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a
leucistic
Laughing Kookaburra (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, December 2019]
Dorsal view of a
leucistic
Laughing Kookaburra (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, December 2019]
Hyper-melanism
Near-frontal view of a "Black Kookaburra" - an
hyper-melanistic
Laughing Kookaburra, with excess colour pigmentation; a second Black
Kookaburra was seen at the time
(photo courtesy of M. Adam-Cross)
[Yarramundi, NSW, August 2013]
The bird shown above is one of two hyper-melanistic members of a family that have been observed and reported to us until July 2018.
Near-dorsal view of a "Black Kookaburra" - an
hyper-melanistic
Laughing Kookaburra, with excess colour pigmentation
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Gatton, QLD, July 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a "Black Kookaburra" - an
hyper-melanistic
Laughing Kookaburra, with excess colour pigmentation
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Kuranda, QLD, February 2022]
Race "minor"
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ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Near-lateral view of a Laughing Kookaburra
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Mission Beach, QLD, September 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a Laughing Kookaburra
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Croydon, QLD, September 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a Laughing Kookaburra
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Loyalty Beach, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a Laughing Kookaburra
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Loyalty Beach, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]
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Breeding information |
Breeding season: Aug - Dec | Eggs: 2 - 4 | Incubation period: 23 - 25 days | Fledging age: 32 - 37 days |
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Tree hollow | Material: N/A | Height above ground: 3 - 10 m |
Instead of tree hollows Laughing Kookaburras sometimes also use arboreal termite nests for nesting. They do not line their nests.
Laughing Kookaburra nestling inside its nest hollow
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Banks Street Reserve, Ashgrove, Brisbane, QLD, November 2019]
Laughing Kookaburra nestling, here seen begging for food
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Banks Street Reserve, Ashgrove, Brisbane, QLD, November 2019]
Laughing Kookaburra nestling, here seen gulping down its meal
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Banks Street Reserve, Ashgrove, Brisbane, QLD, November 2019]
View of the entrance to a Laughing Kookaburra's nest hollow
(photo courtesy of R. Druce)
Here the owner of the nest (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
Laughing Kookaburra at the entrance to its nest hollow
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Great Alpine Highway, Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, October 2017]
In this tree a pair of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos
makes use of the presence of Laughing Kookaburras; the large
opening is used by the kookaburras, the smaller one in the upper
left corner by the cockatoos
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, October 2011]
Most Laughing Kookaburras choose nesting hollows with very
wide openings; however, this one is barely wide enough for a
bird to enter and the hollow inside must be wider than the opening
[Near Narrabri, NSW, December 2011]
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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 | Elementary unit: Family clan |
We once noticed how a Laughing Kookaburra called its mates for help when a Whistling Kite came onto the scene. Together the 10-12 Kookaburras hustled the big raptor out of their territory.
Laughing Kookaburra going back to its roots, hunting for fish from
a coastal cliff
[Little Nobby, Crescent Head, NSW, October 2013]
Laughing Kookaburra hunting off a perch
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2008]
THAT's a bill!
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2008]
The same Laughing Kookaburra as above
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2008]
How does a Laughing Kookaburra ensure that its voice can be
heard far and wide? It uses a PA system...!
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, March 2016]
Stand-off between a Laughing Kookaburra and an
Australian Magpie
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2019]
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Food, Diet |
Laughing Kookaburras are versatile hunters on land. They will take anything from snakes and lizards to mice, large insects and chicks of other bird species. They are feared by other bird species in the bush.
This Laughing Kookaburra is proving that it is a kingfisher, having
caught a yabbie (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Mt. Tamborine NP,
Gold Coast, QLD, April 2015]
"Too late to pray" - Praying Mantis falling prey to a Laughing Kookaburra
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Mudgeeraba, Gold Coast, QLD, September 2010]
Laughing Kookaburra taking a lizard (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Mudgeeraba, Gold Coast, QLD, September 2004]
Laughing Kookaburra taking a sizable snake (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill, QLD, September 2017]
Laughing Kookaburras can become very tame when fed; here one with
minced meat (photo courtesy of J. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, August 2014]
Laughing Kookaburra prize - "Ha, took that off that human!"
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Mudgeeraba, Gold Coast, QLD, January 2013]
Laughing Kookaburra meal, skinned but not boned...
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Mudgeeraba, Gold Coast, QLD]
Laughing Kookaburra with a fair-size meal, a rat
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, August 2013]
Laughing Kookaburra with an unusual technique,
digging its prey out of sand on a
beach
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Carmila, QLD, September 2019]
Example of why Laughing Kookaburras do not usually need to
drink water - a frog contains plenty of liquid
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Eacham, Atherton Tablelands, QLD, November 2018]
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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.
lkooka_20151016.m4a |
novaeguineae (NW NSW) |
Territorial call | © MD | |
lkooka_20230215.mp3 |
novaeguineae (NW NSW) |
Territorial call (family of 4) | © MD | |
lkooka_20210215.m4a |
novaeguineae (NW NSW) |
Territorial calls (pair Q&A) | © MD | |
lkooka_20200213.m4a |
novaeguineae (NW NSW) |
Territorial calls (pair Q&A) | © MD | |
lkooka_20201219.m4a |
novaeguineae (NW NSW) |
Territorial calls (pair Q&A) | © MD | |
lkooka_20230811.mp3 |
novaeguineae (NW NSW) |
Territorial calls (family clan) | © MD | |
lkooka_20200531.m4a |
novaeguineae (NW NSW) |
Territorial calls (pair Q&A; + White-plumed Honeyeater alarm calls) | © MD | |
lkooka_20160920.m4a |
novaeguineae (NW NSW) |
Clan Q&A | © MD | |
lkooka_art_20131212.m4a |
novaeguineae (SE QLD) |
Clan-to-clan Q&A | © ART | |
lkooka_20200718.m4a |
novaeguineae (NW NSW) |
Arrival & territorial call (+ Willie Wagtail) |
© MD | |
lkooka_20151016_2.m4a |
novaeguineae (NW NSW) |
? (low chuckle) | © MD | |
lkooka_20210327.m4a |
novaeguineae (NW NSW) |
? (low chuckle) | © MD | |
lkooka_art_20131203.m4a |
novaeguineae (SE QLD) |
? | © ART |
More Laughing Kookaburra sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.