Laughing Kookaburra Facts and Information
Dacelo novaeguineae
One of the very interesting birds in the world is the Laughing Kookaburra. It is about 18 inches long with legs that are short and stocky. They offer a very nice color but it is their unusually sounds that often startle people that aren’t used to being around them.
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Coraciiformes |
| Family | Halcyonidae |
| Genus | Dacelo |
| Conservation status | Least Concern |
Laughing Kookaburra Description
The body of the Laughing Kookaburra is round and short. They are a very light brownish color with areas of darker brown on their feathers and the top of the head. They also have dark brown under their eyes. They have some areas of white in the middle of the wings and underneath. They tail is long and thin with a mix of both light and dark brown. The bill is long and pointed with a dark black on top and a light tan on the bottom.
Laughing Kookaburra Distribution
The Eastern part of Australia is the native home of this particular bird. However, it has now found its way to both the South and the Western areas of Australia. Many believe this was through human introduction. Regardless of how they arrived in those areas though what is really important is that they are doing well in those habitats.
They inhabit the wooded areas and they live in family groups.
Laughing Kookaburra Behavior
The name for this particular bird comes from the fact that their call is so similar to the sound of a person laughing. They use this call to be able to establishing their place in their families. They also use it to tell about dangers or to call out for mating. This type of call is mainly heard during the early morning but it can be heard at any point of the day.
As they are making such a call, they also have their head tipped back as a person would while engaging in laughter. When the call is one of joy or simple communication then many of the family of birds will join in. That can create quite a visual appearance as well as some loud sounds.
Laughing Kookaburra Feeding
The Laughing Kookaburra is a very patient hunter. They will sit for long periods of time and wait for food sources to be available to them. They consume a variety of small mammals. They also consume small reptiles and various types of insects. They also will dine on some species of snakes.
Laughing Kookaburra Reproduction
The mature females are the ones that are going to encourage the mating. They will sing songs to draw the males to them. The male may sing back to her and that will continue until they mate. This usually will take place in October or November. They will create a nest and the female will place two or four eggs into it.
They will take about 24 to 26 days to emerge. The parents will do all they can to bring enough food to the young. If there isn’t enough food they may only be able to feed the strongest and healthiest of their offspring. They will be able to fly and to help get their own food when they are about 5 weeks old.
The young often stay in very close proximity to their parents. In fact, there are many observances of them even helping to bring food to the next offspring and to help with protecting them. They create close family bonds that are very interesting to observe between the parents and the young.
