Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae Scientific name definitions

39–42 cm; male 196–450 g (mean 307 g), female 190–465 g (mean 352 g). Very large, distinctive kingfisher. Male nominate race white head, dark crown and eyeband, dark nape patch, dark brown upperparts , small blue rump patch, bluish-white tips of wing-coverts; rufous uppertail-coverts and tail banded with black; underparts white; upper mandible brownish-black, lower mandible horn-coloured with brown base; iris dark brown; legs and feet pale greenish to greyish-flesh. Differs from D. leachii in having much less blue on wings and rump, dark eye-mask, dark eye. Female larger, less blue on rump. Juvenile darker, more barred than adult. Race minor smaller, crown slightly darker.

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Introduced (nominate race) to SW Australia, Kangaroo I, Flinders I, Tasmania, and New Zealand (North I).

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Eucalypt (Eucalyptus) forest and woodland, using riparian trees along major watercourses to extend inland or into primary forest; also uses wooded and cleared farmland, city parks and suburban gardens, provided that tree hollows available for nesting; sometimes in forest edges, wetlands, pine plantations and forest regrowth. Where sympatric with D. leachii on Magnetic I (E Queensland), the species are interspecifically territorial; in other areas, D. leachii keeps to drier habitats.

Sedentary, with occasional temporary movements to exploit abundant prey; prior to breeding, auxiliaries may disperse into vacant breeding sites; 90% of ringing recoveries less than 10 km from ringing site. Some records from New Zealand possibly of birds blown across Tasman Sea during storms.

Diet varied and well studied. Invertebrates  recorded are earthworms (Lumbricidae, Megascolecidae), snails (Helicidae), spiders (Actinopodidae, Heteropodidae, Lycosidae), crabs, crayfish (Parastacidae), millipedes (Diplopoda), centipedes (Chilopoda), cockroaches (Blattellidae, Blattidae), beetles (Buprestidae, Carabidae, Cerambycidae, Chrysomelidae, Cleridae, Curculionidae, Dytiscidae, Elateridae, Geotrupidae, Lathridiidae, Lucanidae, Passalidae, Scarabaeidae, Tenebrionidae), earwigs (Dermaptera), cicadas (Cicadidae), bugs (Lygaeidae, Nepidae, Pentatomidae), ants (Formicidae), moths (Hepialidae, Noctuidae), mantises  (Mantidae), damselflies (Zygoptera), grasshoppers (Acrididae, Eumastacidae, Tettigoniidae), crickets (Gryllidae, Gryllotalpidae). Vertebrates include fish (Centopomidae, Cyprinidae, Embassidae, Pomatomidae, Percidae, Salmonidae), frogs  (Myobatrachidae), lizards  (Agamidae, Scincidae), snakes (Elapidae); seldom takes adult birds (Coturnix, Turnix, Phylidonyris), occasionally nestlings or fledglings  (Gallus, Anas, Cereopsis, Malurus, Manorina, Phylidonyris, Petroica, Pachycephala, Grallina, Cinclostoma, Artamus, Carduelis, Passer, Sturnus); some small mammals (Cercartetus, Antechinus, Oryctolagus, Mus, Rattus). In Tasmania, 26% beetles, 15% moths, 37% grasshoppers and crickets, 3% lizards; in New South Wales, 7% spiders, 14% beetles, 15% ants, 8% moths, 32% grasshoppers and crickets; items brought to a nest near Melbourne included 35% lizards and snakes, 32% insects, 15% earthworms, 8% crayfish, 1% rodents, and 7% birdtable scraps (cheese, raw meat, etc.). Most prey taken from ground, occasionally in flight or from shallow water; insects sometimes taken in flight or from tree trunks, but mainly from ground; aquatic prey taken by surface-plunging. Spends long periods watching from a branch or powerline, 1–10 m above ground; when prey seen, swoops down, wings folded or partly folded, spreading them just before landing beside prey and immediately seizing it in bill. Occasionally digs in ground for prey. Small items swallowed whole; larger animals sometimes beaten against ground but more usually carried in bill back to perch, where beaten on branch before being swallowed; prey may also be moved back and forth in the bill to pulverize it. Snakes up to 1m long are grabbed behind the head, beaten violently on ground or on a perch, then swallowed head first; sometimes snakes are dropped from a height to stun them. In some areas frequents refuse tips to take food waste, and often takes scraps at picnic areas and feeding tables. Sometimes steals prey from hawks (Accipitridae) or snakes. Undigested food regurgitated as pellets, which may accumulate under roosting places.

Well-known laughing choruses , mainly at dawn and dusk, by 2 or more birds, often in response to neighbouring group. Laugh has 5 elements: “Kooa”, “Cackle”, “Rolling” as rapid repeated “ooo-ooo-ooo” for 2 seconds, “Haha” loudest element and lasting 2–5 seconds, and male’s “Gogo” as loud distinct “go-go-go” or female’s “Gurgle” as lower-pitched call with longer pauses; much individual variation in sequence of elements, some can be omitted, or rolling and haha elements repeated several times. Given singly, kooa call warns of birds of prey when deep and guttural, gets attention of others in group when softer; repeated “haha” used before attack; “Chuckle” equivalent to rolling element of laugh, repeated “ooo” sounds as contact; “Chuck Call” an abbreviated chuckle, when feeding young; low-pitched “Squawk” a submissive call, by adults when begging for food; “Soft Squawk” when nest-showing; deafening “Screech Call” when two birds fighting. Violent head-shaking after preening sounds like a rattle. Nestlings quiet high-pitched squeak for first week, by 2 weeks incessant lower-pitched whirring call that becomes squealing squawk when adults arrive, used also in alarm; fledglings beg with soft persistent squawk, rising in intensity when adults approach, attempt first laugh at 6 weeks and competent by 3 months.

Lays in Sept–Dec; occasionally 2 broods. Monogamous; pairs for life, maintains territory all year. Pair often accompanied by up to 4 or 5 of its offspring, most of which are males, which live as group in territory and jointly defend it; group-members keep in sight and sound of each other but feed separately, at night roost together in dense foliage; aggression within group usually between breeding pair and auxiliary, increases just before egg-laying; calling, particularly duets, increases 2–3 months prior to breeding, male courtship-feeds female from 6 weeks before laying and for a few days after; pair spends much time visiting old and new nest-sites, scratching at site or sitting in cavity. Territory advertised with dawn and dusk choruses and some boundary display-flights; most aggression between neighbours ritualized, but fights can occur leading to fatal injuries. Nest usually in natural hollow in dead or living tree, or excavated in arboreal termitarium (often of Nasutitermes walkeri) or in tree with rotten centre; occasionally digs hole in bank or cliff, masonry or haystack, or uses old stick nest or epiphytic staghorn ferns (Polypodium); 60% of nests in hole in living eucalypt (30 species recorded), 16% in arboreal termitarium, 8% in hollow in non-eucalypt tree, 7% in dead tree or stump, and 9% in other sites including nestboxes; nest-hole 20 cm to 60 m above ground, average 8 m, entrance usually 12–15 cm (8–40 cm) wide, nest-chamber 20–150 cm wide and 20–40 cm high; same nest may be used for many years, some for 5 consecutive years, once intermittently for 60 years. Clutch 1–5 eggs  , usually 2–3, 5-egg clutches likely laid by more than one female, laid in morning or afternoon, interval of 24–48 hours between first and second, 17–96 hours between subsequent eggs; will re-nest if first clutch lost; incubation may start from first egg but often sporadic until clutch complete, period 24–29 days, helpers incubate for 5–32% of time; eggs hatch over several days, hatchling naked, pink and blind, pin-feathers visible under skin at 4 days and emerge at 7–11 days, eyes open after 10 days, feathers on body break out of sheaths after 17–22 days, head feathers, remiges and rectrices after 22–27 days; all group-members feed, brood and defend chicks; brooding bouts lasted 21–92 minutes, 36% by male, 32 % by female, 16% by auxiliaries, nest unattended 16% of time; auxiliaries provide 10–61% of food brought to nest; in Canberra (Australian Capital Territory) study, groups did not bring more food than single pairs; feeding rate increased until chick 18 days old, then decreased; adults do not remove faeces, older chicks try to defecate through entrance but often miss, thus fouling nest floor, which becomes infested with maggots; fledging after 32–40 days, brood taking several days to leave nest, pair and helpers feed them for at least 6–10 weeks further; immature females disperse at 1–2 years, males at 2–4 years. In Victoria, 65% of eggs hatched, 82% of hatchlings fledged, 81% of fledglings survived to independence; in Canberra, 90% of eggs hatched and 67% of nestlings fledged, 43% of last-hatched chicks and 10% of second-hatched chicks killed by older siblings. Nests raided by other birds, mammals, snakes and goannas (Varanus). Sexual maturity at 1 year, but most delay breeding for several years. Longevity in the wild up to 11·5 years.

Not globally threatened. Common over most of its range, and has benefited from human settlement . Density varies between 0·04 and 0·8 birds/ha, giving estimated total population of as many as c. 65,000,000 individuals. Apart from successful introductions to SW Australia, Kangaroo I, Flinders I, Tasmania and New Zealand, its distribution has not changed in historical times. No real threats, but density declines in areas where farmland is converted to residential blocks.