A Common Garden Visitor - The Laughing Kookaburra

There is a family of Laughing Kookaburras that live in and around the little valley in the foothills here and they are regular visitors to my property.


Kookaburras live in family groups ( photo / image / picture from Bernieh's Garden )

These birds are the largest of the kingfishers, but unlike our other kingfishers, they inhabit the same territory all year round.


The Laughing Kookaburra ( photo / image / picture from Bernieh's Garden )

The Laughing Kookaburra is instantly recognisable with its' white belly, whitish head, dark brown eye-stripes ...


The Laughing Kookaburra is a common sight here ( photo / image / picture from Bernieh's Garden )

... brown wings and a brown back.


Kookaburra sits in an old gum tree ( photo / image / picture from Bernieh's Garden )

It has a huge bill ... very useful for handling the food it likes to eat!


Kookaburra with a morning snack ( photo / image / picture from Bernieh's Garden )

It feeds mostly on insects like the Elephant Beetle in the photo above, and things like worms and crustaceans. Although it also likes to dine on the occasional small snake, mammals, frog and birds.


Perch and Pounce - Kookaburra in hunt mode ( photo / image / picture from Bernieh's Garden )

The method of hunting is a 'Perch and Pounce' approach. The kookaburra will sit motionless on a vantage point ... like a tree branch or a railing! ... and stare fixedly at the ground below.

When it sights prey, it will swoop down on to it, seize it in the bill, and fly back to a perch to eat it. Small prey is usually eaten whole, but larger prey is killed by bashing it against the ground or a tree branch.


Snack time for the Kookaburra ( photo / image / picture from Bernieh's Garden )

That's exactly what this kookaburra was doing right before I got this shot ... it was bashing the large Elephant Beetle against the rock to kill it. I've also seen a kookaburra bashing a large snail against a rock in order to smash the shell first.

These birds are called the 'Laughing Kookaburra' as they have a loud, raucous call that sounds very much like a laugh ... the "koo-koo-koo-ka-ka-ka" echoes up and down the valley beside my home every morning, most evenings and sometimes during the day as well. Over here they are sometimes referred to as "the Bushman's clock" because they call just before dawn every morning! They are my alarm clock ... I don't really need the other sort at all!


My alarm clock ( photo / image / picture from Bernieh's Garden )

 

That is fascinating! And your photos are so clear, as are the explanations. That is some beautiful alarm clock you have there.
Love hearing about your area--give us more, please!

 

Love to see the Kookaburra for real. They are very cool looking birds. They seem to have qiute large heads, and beaks!
All I've ever known of them is that lyric from the song, and you put it to life!
"Kookaburra sitting in the old gum tree..."

 

Marlingardener, I'm lucky that these birds don't mind posing for the camera. There's always a few hanging around quite close to our house, even on our verandah. So it's easy to get good shots.

Kay, yes they sure do have big heads and beaks. You wouldn't want to get too close to that beak. They have a firm hold so I'm told. Not that we ever feed these beauties. We leave the birds to fend for themselves here as there's lots of food sources for them.

 

Love these pitcures

thanks so much for sharing these beautiful pictures! I am not a bird watcher or expert by any means..I am lucky to ID a woodpecker! lol I really enjoyed reading about these birds and their habits.

-NJ

 

That was a really awesome set of photos. Thanks for sharing this with us. Not a bird like that to be found here. As a matter of fact you have a very different set of animals and birds there than we do here. And ours are probably just as different to you. So please keep sharing your country with us. Thanks

 

NJ, I'm becoming a bit of a bird watcher. I never worried much about the feathered visitors until around about two years ago. Now I quite enjoy learning about all the different bird species we're lucky enough to see here.

Carolyn, we do get to see lots of different birds and other creatures here as we are surrounded by bushland here. I'm only too happy to share information as I keep on learning about all the animals that visit.

 

Bernie... great set of photos and descriptions. Like the others said... big head and beak! Beautiful bird. Too bad you couldn't record their call and post it.
Thanks for posting. Very interesting!

 

You have opened a window into a side of the world that I would never see were it not for your pictures. Somewhere stored in my head is a Kookaburra call, from where I don't know. Your description was accurate enough for me to remember. Now I have pictures and some activities to put with the call. Nice clean-up on your tiered garden by the way.

Jerry

 

Great posting! Wonderful to hear about other gardens in a travelog that most would never get to experience otherwise. Love it

 

Bernieh; like the others said. Those are super pictures and info into their lifestyle. We have King Fishers on the river down behind our property. But they never venture far from the water. So one needs to go down too the river to see them. But you are taking your life in your own hands so to speak if you even try and venture close to the river this time of year. Our mosquitoes, and deer flies try and make a meal out of you this time of year.

 

The kookies have been beautifully captured on film, a delight to see, but one more remarkable fact is[without taking away from Bernie] when you look at the kookies head from behind he looks the same, the patterns on his feathers resemble his front appearance, great for predators....they think he is looking at them.Isnt nature amazing?

 

Wonderful series of photos and information. Thanks so much for sharing. Love the Alarm Clock photos and the family of three shot, good job.

 

Thank you everyone for your kind comments.

Cherylad, I will try to get a record of their song and post it if I'm successful. It's definitely worth listening too.