Birds · Coraciiformes · Alcedinidae

Laughing Kookaburra

Dacelo novaeguineae

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The laughing kookaburra is the largest kingfisher in the world and one of the most recognisable birds in Australia for its laugh: a crescendo of cackling that family groups perform in chorus at dawn and dusk to mark their territory. It does not fish: it hunts snakes, lizards, insects and rodents from a perch, and beats its prey against the branch before swallowing it. It lives in family groups with cooperative breeding.

Weight

307 g – 352 g

Size

39 cm – 47 cm

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestGrasslandCarnivore Diurnal Bird Temperate forest Grassland

3countries 26parks4same family

Fun facts

comunicaciónIts call, like human laughter, traditionally marks dawn and dusk, and family groups sing it together to defend their territory.
Its collective laughter at dawn is a territorial marker, not an expression of merriment: the whole group performs it in chorus and neighbouring groups answer, forming a chain that runs through the forest.
It is the largest kingfisher in the world and almost never fishes: it hunts reptiles, insects and rodents on land, and is famous for killing venomous snakes by dropping them from the air.
Its laugh was used as a jungle sound in dozens of Hollywood films set in Africa and Amazonia, where the species does not occur.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Eucalypt woodland, wooded savannah, parks and gardens of eastern and south-western Australia
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 25 days
Litter / clutch size: 3 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dacelo_novaeguineae