Laughing Kookaburra

General Information

The laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) is the life of the party in the avian world! This bird belongs to the kingfisher subfamily Halcyoninae.

Originally hailing from the eastern mainland of Australia, you can now spot it in parts of New Zealand, Tasmania, and Western Australia. From dry eucalypt forests to urban hangouts like city parks and gardens, this bird knows how to pick a scene and own it!

A breeding pair can be accompanied by up to five fully grown non-breeding offspring from previous years that help the parents defend their territory and raise their young. The laughing kookaburra generally breeds in unlined tree holes or in excavated holes in arboreal termite nests. The usual clutch is three white eggs.

A predator of a wide variety of small animals, the laughing kookaburra typically waits perched on a branch until it sees an animal on the ground and then flies down and pounces on its prey. Its diet includes lizards, insects, worms, snakes, mice and are known to take goldfish out of garden ponds.