Laughing Kookaburra

SPECIES Laughing Kookaburra
TAXONOMY Dacelo novaeguineae
STATUS Least Concern (Redlist.org); Least Concern QLD (ala.org.au)

The Laughing Kookaburra is an iconic Australian native bird. Often nicknamed ‘the bushman’s clock’, it’s manic laughter-like call can be heard at early dawn and dusk. The call is used to establish territory among family groups, and will begin with one and crescendo into a chorus of several respondents. 

History
In the 1800s this species was commonly called the “Laughing Jack-Ass”, a name first recorded in 1798 by author David Collins in An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales. Other popular names used during that time included “Great Brown Kingfisher”, and “Laughing Kingfisher”. It was not until 1926 where the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union officially adopted the name “Laughing Kookaburra”, which actually is derived from the Aboriginal Wiradhuri language.

In the 1930s  it inspired a famous children’s song written by music teacher Marion Sinclair for the 1934 Girl Guides Jamboree. The song was originally titled “Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree” and soon gained world-wide popularity for the kookaburra alongside other unique and iconic Australian animals such as the koala and kangaroo. 

Habitat
Native to eastern Australia, the Laughing Kookaburra can be found among eucalyptus forests from rural areas to city parks as they have adapted well to areas of human development. Their territory overlaps in southern Queensland with another subspecies, the Blue-winged Kookaburra. They were introduced into Tasmania, the south-west of Western Australia, and New Zealand

They will remain within the same territory throughout the year. In urban areas, territories are small due to the exposed leaf litter from land clearing and backyard gardens which provide habitat for invertebrates and small lizards. The limitations in these urban areas are suitable nesting sites. 

Feeding
Laughing Kookaburras are almost exclusively carnivorous. They feed mostly on insects, worms, crustaceans, mammals, frogs, and small birds. They are also known for feeding on snakes which is why they were introduced into other regions. 

Laughing Kookaburras, like other Kingfishers, are larger predatory birds with large beaks. Most birds in this family specialise in diving into streams to catch fish. However, the kookaburra is the exception to this behaviour and will rarely eat fish. Being large birds, they are slow and less agile when flying, rarely catching prey on the wing. 

Instead, they adopt another kingfisher method of hunting known as the ‘perch and pounce’. They will watch from a branch and when they spot their prey, they will fixate on it before fluttering down to seize it among the leaf litter.  Snakes are grabbed from behind the head and then sometimes taken high into the air to cause death from the impact with the ground. Generally, the kookaburra will take any prey too large to swallow whole and bash it up against a hard surface to both kill it and to soften it up before eating. This behaviour has contributed to the development of strong neck muscles compared to other birds.

They have become accustomed to human activity and will readily take offerings whether intended for them or not. They have been known to become quite brazen and will happily snatch food off a table, a barbecue, or even from human hands.

Appearance 
The Laughing Kookaburra is the largest bird in the Kingfisher family. It is stout, stocky, has a large head,  and a very large bill. It has prominent brown eyes with a distinctive dark eye stripe. The male and female have similar colouring, with the female being slightly larger and has less blue to the rump. Both have dark brown wings, a white head, and a reddish-coloured tail with black bars. They stand as high as 45 centimetres tall. They are known to live up to 20 years in captivity.

Reproduction
Laughing Kookaburras are monogamous and mate for life. They nest in a naturally occurring tree hollow or excavate arboreal termite mounds. A breeding pair can be accompanied by up to five fully grown non-breeding offspring that will assist in defending territories and raising young. 

Breeding season is from August to January, with both the male and female sharing incubation duties and care of the young. As with most birds, the chicks are born blind and featherless. They are, however, quite aggressive and have special hooks on their beaks in which to defend themselves.

Threats
In 1906, the Laughing Kookaburra was released into south western Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand with the intention of controlling snake populations. However, since that introduction the Laughing Kookaburra has impacted local native species in several ways as well as angered farmers by preying on domestic fowl. Whilst populations within their native territory of mainland eastern Australia are decreasing by as much as 40%, their numbers are increasing in areas where they were introduced.

The impact that they are having in the introduced areas is that the Laughing Kookaburras are eating not just the small snakes, but also native lizards, frogs, small mammals, and birds. They will invade the nest of any smaller bird and treat it as food. They also compete with native species (such as the Black Cockatoo) for nesting sites. This has devastated populations of local species to these areas.

In their native areas, the opposite is happening. The Laughing Kookaburra is on the decline along with many other native birds of prey. Several factors have been identified leading to this decline. The primary issue is the use of pesticides introduced into the food chain. Pesticides used on insects are ingested by insect-eating birds. This poison accumulates in the bird’s fat. When environmental conditions create food scarcity, the kookaburra will use up these fat reserves. Hence, being exposed to larger quantities of poison that can lead to sickness, infertility, or even death.

Updated 5 May 2021