Laughing Kookaburra
Dacelo novaeguineae
LCLeast Concern Endemic to Australia
- Length
- 39–42 cm
- Family
- Kingfishers (Alcedinidae)
- Order
- Coraciiformes
Overview
The laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) 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.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Diet: Insects, lizards, snakes and small mammals.
How to identify it
- Very large kingfisher with a brown back and off-white head
- Dark stripe through the eye
- Heavy bill
Voice
Famous 'laughing' chorus at dawn and dusk.
Where to see it
- Eastern Australian woodland and parks
Similar species
- Blue-winged Kookaburra
- pale eye and much more blue in the wing; northern Australia
Range and habitat
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Laughing 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.
