Laughing Kookaburra

Quick Take

• The kookaburra's method of killing prey is more brutal than most predators twice its size, and oddly practical too. See how it kills →
• Kookaburra chicks have a dark survival strategy that their own family does not stop and sometimes even enables. Chick survival tactics →
• This bird builds its nursery inside a living insect colony, and the arrangement is stranger than it sounds. Termite mound nesting →
• Aboriginal folklore assigned the kookaburra a cosmic daily task, and its morning call is all the evidence needed to believe it. Hear the morning call →

The kookaburra, often called the laughing kookaburra, is the largest member of the kingfisher (Alcedinidae) family. It is diurnal, meaning it is most active in the daytime. Kookaburras are commonly found in eucalyptus trees, and Australian folklore says that the morning melody of the kookaburra is a cue for the “sky people” to “light the sun each morning.” The word kookaburra comes from the Aboriginal Wiradjuri people’s word gugubarra, an imitative word resembling the sound of the kookaburra, and meaning laughter.

Evolution And History

The laughing kookaburra belongs to the species of kingfishers believed to have evolved in the Northern Hemisphere. Based on fossils discovered, the kingfisher species dates back almost 40 million years, and its ancestors are thought to be the Quasisyndactylus, a small bird that lived around 40 to 50 million years ago.

Classification and Scientific Name

The kookaburra’s scientific name is Dacelo novaeguineae. It is alternatively called a laughing kookaburra or the bushman’s alarm clock. The nickname of bushman’s alarm clock comes from the fact that this bird lets out its call early in the morning. It is also sometimes referred to as a terrestrial tree kingfisher. It belongs to the Aves class and the Alcedinidae family.

Where To Find Laughing Kookaburras

The laughing kookaburra is native to Eastern Australia, though it has been introduced to other areas as well. Kookaburras live predominantly in the Oceania region, including Southern Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, and Tasmania. Kookaburras also like to dwell in parks, gardens, and sometimes in people’s backyards, but the best place to find these fascinating birds is in woodland forest areas and wetlands.

They reside in temperate climates. You may see them up in trees or catching prey. Hearing them will likely be an easier task than spotting them. Listen for their laugh-like call around dawn and dusk, and you will hear an entire group of kookaburras “singing” loudly together. Click here to hear a laughing kookaburra.

Size, Appearance, and Behavior

Laughing Kookaburras have brown eyes flanked by dark brown bands. Their plumage is brown and white or gray and black, with lighter chests. Males have blue specks near their tails. Their beaks can reach up to 4 inches (10 cm) in length and are used to kill their prey. These birds range in size from 15.4 to 16.5 inches tall and 16 to 18 inches long. Kookaburras typically weigh between 13 and 16 ounces, with females being slightly bigger.

The wingspan of a kookaburra is over two feet long, ranging between 25 and 26 inches. Their defensive features include plumage colors that help to camouflage them in their natural habitat, and they frequently puff their feathers to make themselves look bigger when threatened. Kookaburras molt annually during late winter and early spring. They have an expected lifespan of 11 to 13 years in the wild and up to 18 years in captivity.

Unlike many other bird species, kookaburras are not migratory. They occupy the same territory year-round. Rather than flying to warmer climates in the winter months, they huddle together for warmth and can regulate their body temperature quite well.

Diet

The kookaburra is a carnivore, meaning it eats only other animals. It perches in a tree and watches for prey to come near. When it spots its prey, the kookaburra swoops down and seizes it in its beak. One of the more striking facts about this species is how it kills its prey: by repeatedly beating it against a hard surface, such as a tree branch, rendering it lifeless and making it more tender before eating. If the prey is small enough, the kookaburra will skip the beating and swallow it whole.

What Does the Kookaburra Eat?

Kookaburras eat many animals, including snakes, large insects, crustaceans, rodents, frogs, and small birds. Bird eggs are also part of a kookaburra’s diet. When in captivity, such as in zoos, kookaburras are also commonly fed mice, mealworms, and crickets.

Threats and Predators

The main threat kookaburras face in the wild is habitat loss. Wildfires in Australia are huge contributors to the destruction of their homes. Humans poaching these incredible animals for the pet trade is also a danger to the wild population. Sadly, kookaburras are sometimes poisoned indirectly by pesticides that kill rodents and other invasive species, which are easy meals for these birds. Kookaburras also have an array of natural predators.

What Eats the Kookaburra?

Birds of prey such as eagles, owls, falcons, and hawks eat kookaburras. Large reptiles like pythons and monitor lizards feed on them as well. Other predators include quolls, foxes, and even pet cats. These predators, in particular, may take advantage of vulnerable chicks, snatching them from their nest.

Mating and Nesting

Kookaburras are a monogamous species that stay together for life. The mating season takes place between August and January. Both the male and the female will call out to each other, and the male will bring food to the female in preparation for mating.

The mother kookaburra will lay between two and four eggs. After 25 to 29 days, the eggs hatch, and the chicks are born. At the time of birth, the chicks are born without feathers. Sometimes, in competition for food, the chicks will attack and kill the youngest sibling. During incubation and after hatching, older siblings will help care for the young. The chicks are fed for about a month before leaving the nest, though females remain with their family for one to two years and males for two to four years. They reach sexual maturity around one year old.

Both male and female kookaburras work together to prepare nests and care for their young. The terrestrial tree kingfishers often utilize naturally occurring holes in trees and will also burrow into arboreal termite mounds. These mounds typically have an entrance around five to six inches wide, though openings can range from three to sixteen inches across.

Population

While the precise number of kookaburras in the wild is unknown, the population is considered stable. The IUCN has classified these birds as Least Concern on the Red List with a stable population.