Free Teacher Resources
A laughing kookaburra with a large bill and brown wings perched on a branch.
Photo: Paulweberphoto, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Laughing Kookaburra

Dacelo novaeguineae

The largest kingfisher, an Australian bird famous for a loud call that sounds like laughter.

🐦 Kingfishers
Checking teacher reviews…
Teacher? Sign in to review this page →Report a mistake

About the Laughing Kookaburra

Laughing kookaburras live in eastern and southwestern Australia and Tasmania, in woodlands, clearings and even towns. They are up to 15 to 17 inches long and weigh up to about a pound. Families claim their territory by calling loudly together at dawn and dusk. Kookaburras eat almost any small animal: large insects, frogs, snakes, rodents, small birds and eggs.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Dacelo novaeguineae[1]
Size
Up to 15 to 17 inches long.[1]
Weight
Up to about 1 pound. Females are larger.[1]
Diet
Carnivore. Large insects, frogs, snakes, rodents, small birds and eggs.[1]
Habitat
Drier woodlands and clearings, including near people.[1]
Where it lives
Eastern and southwestern Australia and Tasmania, plus small introduced groups in New Zealand and New Guinea.[1]
Group life
Small family groups that call together at dawn and dusk.[1]
Babies
Usually two or three eggs in a tree hollow.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2016).[2]

Fun facts

  • Kookaburra calls have been used in hundreds of jungle movies, even ones not set in Australia.[1]
  • Kookaburras are the largest kingfishers.[1]
  • Kookaburra chicks have a tiny hook on the beak that falls off when they can fly.[1]

Vocabulary

kingfisher
A family of birds with large heads and long, strong bills.
territory
An area an animal lives in and defends from others.
Aboriginal
Relating to the first peoples of Australia.
introduced
Brought by people to a place where a species did not live before.
fledge
When a young bird grows its flight feathers and is ready to fly.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Zoo Atlanta. “Laughing Kookaburra.” https://zooatlanta.org/animal/laughing-kookaburra/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Dacelo novaeguineae (Laughing Kookaburra).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22683189/92977835 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.