Species guide
Laughing Kookaburra: how to recognise it
A bird of Europe, North America and Oceania. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Elliot Blythman · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Dacelo novaeguineae
- Family
- Kingfishers
- Size
- About 40–47 cm
- Habitat
- Open woodland, farmland and suburban parks
- Found in
- Europe, North America and Oceania
The key marks
A big-headed kingfisher with a heavy bill, a dark stripe through the eye and a brown, barred tail.
Voice
A loud, rolling laugh that starts slowly and ends in a cackle.
Good to know
Its cackling call is a family territory shout, often sung in chorus at dawn and dusk. It eats snakes, lizards and insects as well as small fish.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in open woodland, farmland and suburban parks. It is especially common in Australia. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.