Rufous-bellied Kookaburra Dacelo gaudichaud Scientific name definitions

28–31 cm; male 110–161 g, female 138–170 g. Large, distinctively marked kingfisher. Male has white stripe behind eye, glossy black cap and back separated by complete white collar ; lower back, rump and uppertail-coverts shiny azure-blue; wing-coverts black, edged with pale blue; tail dark blue; underparts below throat rich cinnamon-rufous; bill whitish or yellowish-horn, often with dark line on culmen; iris dark brown; legs and feet greyish. Female like male, but tail rich chestnut . Juvenile dusky edges to feathers on hindneck and underparts, dusky bill.

Gebe I (N Moluccas), W Papuan Is (Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati, Misool), lowlands of New Guinea (including Kolepom I), along with islands in Geelvink Bay (Mios Num, Yapen), Aru Is, and Heath Is (Sariba) in Milne Bay.

Arthropods, including grasshoppers and locusts (Orthoptera), stick-insects (Phasmida), beetles (Coleoptera), larvae, earthworms (Oligochaeta), and large spiders (Aranea); also crabs (Decapoda); also small vertebrates, such as frogs, lizards, birds and small mammals. Forages mainly in lower canopy, taking prey from tree limbs and among the foliage; occasionally observed on ground, where sometimes digs. Attacks birds caught in mist-nets; is mobbed by small birds, suggesting that it may rob nests.

Common calls are a loud, repeated “tok” or “chok”, a very rapid “tok-tok-tok” sounding like “trrrk”, repeated every 2 seconds, a series of loud hoarse barks or laughs at one pitch and either slow or fast, i.e. 1 or 2 per second; these calls often stimulate birds in adjacent territories to respond; several birds calling together can sound like chorus of D. leachii; also loud rattle in flight, which as bird alights can become a laugh, “kikikikiki-haw-haw-haw-haw-haw”; other calls include 3–6 slow, high-pitched shrieks as “elew, elew, elew”, rasping call when pursuing another in flight; weak whistle by immatures.