Five species of large tree kingfishers from Australia and New Guinea that rarely eat fish. The laughing kookaburra lives in family groups: grown offspring stay to help their parents defend the territory and raise chicks.
Quick answers
What is it?Bird
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inAustralia, New Guinea, New Zealand
HabitatForest, Towns
ColoursBrown, White, Blue
SizeMedium
Length28–47 cm
WeightAbout 300 g
Legs2
Covered inFeathers
Lives infamilies
Lives for11–20 years
Can fly
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Australia, New Guinea and the Aru Islands; the laughing kookaburra was introduced to New Zealand, Tasmania and Western Australia.
- What it eats
- Lizards, insects, worms, snakes, mice and young birds.
Did you know
Its cackle is used in films for jungle sound, though it is a giant kingfisher from Australia.
The laughing kookaburra pairs for life.
All kookaburra species are listed as least concern.
Often confused with
On these lists
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