Shovel-billed Kookaburra
Dacelo rex
- Family
- Kingfishers (Alcedinidae)
- Order
- Coraciiformes
Overview
The shovel-billed kookaburra (Dacelo rex), also known as the shovel-billed kingfisher, is a large, approximately 33 cm (13 in) long, dark brown tree kingfisher with a heavy, short, and broad bill that is unique among the kingfishers. It has a dark head with a rufous (reddish/brown or rust coloured) stripe behind the eyes, a white throat, a rufous neck collar and underparts, a bright blue rump, brown iris, brownish-black bill with paler mandible (entire bill often appears brownish due to earth), and pale feet. Both sexes are similar in appearance, but are easily recognized from the colour of the tail. The male has a dark bluish tail while female's is rufous.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
New Guinea (primarily in hills and adjacent lowlands).
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Countries
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Shovel-billed kookaburra
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
