About the Laughing Kookaburra
The laughing kookaburra is a bird in the kingfisher subfamily Halcyoninae. It is a large kingfisher with a whitish head and a brown eye-stripe. The upperparts are mostly dark brown but there is a mottled light-blue patch on the wing coverts. The underparts are cream-white and the tail is barred with rufous and black. The plumage of the male and female birds is similar. The territorial call is a distinctive laugh that is often delivered by several birds at the same time, and is widely used as a stock sound effect in situations that involve a jungle setting.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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The laughing kookaburra is the largest species of kingfisher, outsizing even the giant kingfisher in body mass. It is a stout, stocky bird 41–47 cm (16–19 in) in length, with a large head, prominent brown eyes, and a long and robust bill. The sexes are very similar, although the female is usually larger and has less blue to the rump than the male. The male weighs 196–450 g (6.9–15.9 oz), mean 307 g (10.8 oz) and the female 190–465 g (6.7–16.4 oz), mean 352 g (12.4 oz). Voice: The name "laughing kookaburra" refers to the bird's "laugh", which it uses to establish territory among family groups. It can be heard at any time of day, but most frequently at dawn and dusk. This species possesses a tracheo-bronchial syrinx, which creates two sources of vibrations so it can produce two frequencies at the same time with multiple harmonics.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where the Laughing Kookaburra lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Belgium, United Kingdom, United States, Germany.
When to see the Laughing Kookaburra
Peak activity in October · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Blue-winged KookaburraDacelo leachiiThe adult blue-winged kookaburra measures around 38 to 42 cm (15 to 17 in) in length and weighs 260 to 330 g.
Rufous-bellied KookaburraDacelo gaudichaudThe rufous-bellied kookaburra, originally known as Gaudichaud's kookaburra after French botanist Charles Gaudichaud-Beaupré, is a species of kookaburra that is widely distributed through the forests of lowland New Guinea.
Spangled KookaburraDacelo tyroThe spangled kookaburra grows to 33 cm (13 in) in length, with females growing slightly larger than males.
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