Laughing Kookaburra as Pet:

The laughing kookaburra or Dacelo novaeguineae belongs to the kingfisher family and is found in east Australia, although it also inhabits southwest Australia.



It is carnivorous and the males and females have similar white and brown plumage. The laughing kookaburra gets its name because of its laughing call.

Measuring about 45cm in length, the laughing kookaburra has a stocky body and a big head. It has distinct brown eyes and a large beak. The female kookaburra is slightly larger and has lesser blue on the rump compared to the male kookaburra.



Kookaburras have a whitish head and body with a brown stripe running through the eyes and on top of the head. The wings and back of the bird are brown and there are light blue spots over the shoulders. The tail is a dusty orange with brown stripes and the feathers are white tipped. The bill is black with a whitish underside.



The kookaburra uses its characteristic call to mark its territory. It is usually heard just after sunrise and sunset. It starts with one bird emitting a low chuckle-like call. It then begins to “laugh” with its head thrown back. Other birds often join in and if there is a rival bird tribe in the surrounding areas which responds to the call, the entire family of kookaburras gets together and emits a call.

The laughing kookaburra may sometimes be confused with the blue winged kookaburra or dacelo leachii which is found in east queensland. The two forms differ in terms of their call. The blue winged kookaburra emits a rougher call which ends more abruptly than the laughing kookaburra. It also does not have the brown stripe through the eye and head and its tail has more blue in it, while the eye is pale. Kookaburras inhabit wooded areas such as forests. They live mostly in family groups and the young birds help in hunting and taking care of the next generation of young ones. They hunt their food by sitting on a branch and waiting for the prey to travel their way. They hunt mice, insects, lizards, small birds and snakes. They may even sometime hunt larger poisonous snakes. Kookaburras are also known for snatching food from humans by suddenly swooping down on them. They are generally used to humans and can commonly be seen in gardens and urban environments. Breeding season takes place in October and November. The female lays three eggs with an interval of two days between each egg.