ALT: a kookaburra sitting on the branch of a tree

Image description: a kookaburra on a tree.

Kookaburras:

Kookaburras are members of tree kingfisher family with large heads and beaks. They are specially known for their loud laughter which sounds like human laughter. They are endemic to eeastern Australia. They are approximately 28 to 45 cm long and weighs about 0.5 kg.their eak is about 10cm long. Females weighs slightly larger than male kookaburras. They have distinctive brown eyes and stripes across its face and a fainter brown shade of stripes on top of the head. The lower plumage is off white in colour.

Habitat of kookaburras:

Kookaburras make their homes in dry Eucalyptus forests, woodlands , city parks and gardens. They can also be watched when growing food from the hands of humans. They are quite happy to interact with human beings.

ALT: male and female kookaburras on a pillar

Image descrption: male and female kookaurras on a pillar. 

What do they feed on ?

Kookaburras are extremely carnivorous. They feed on mice, snakes, yabbies, insects, small reptiles and young birds. They also feed on chicken and ducklings. 

ALT: a kookaburra trying to catch an insect

Image description ; a kookaburra hunting its prey.

Kookaburras- reproduction 

They are monogamous. They have only one spouse throughout their life. The female lays upto 3 eggs . with a 2 days difference gap. The first egg laid in the clutch will e male and the 2nd will e male. The chance of survival of the 3rd one is very less because, first two will kill the third one for more food. The probability of the third one surviving is less than 50%. Eggs incubate for 24-26 days. The chicks are born blind and  naked without any feathers.  They don’t fly after growing up but stay with parents and help to defend their territory.

10 Interesting Kookaburra Facts

Kookaburra is a symbol of the birdlife in Australia. The animals are always associated with the famous continent. You can also hear the children’s song “merry, merry king of the bush” inspired from the laughing kookaburra.  Here are the amazing facts about kookaburra:

1: Place Of Living

Kookaburra is not an isolated animal. It is very common for the people to see the laughing kookaburra in the urban regions and suburban gardens. They are not scared with the existence of human beings. You can give the bird food by using hands.

Kookaburra Facts 2: name

The bird is called as a kookaburra because of the laughing call that this bird makes. After a period of absence, the kookaburra will produce a call used to mate. You can hear the laugh or call anytime.

3: New Zealand

Around 1866 to 1880, the first kookaburra birds were taken to New Zealand. However, not all of them survived. The ones liberated by Sir George Grey survived in Kawau Island.

4.Kingfisher family

Kookaburra is included in the Kingfisher family.  It is considered as the largest members in the family.  The group is native to the eucalyptus forest in Eastern Australia.

5: Female Kookaburra

The female kookaburra has the weight round 455 grams or one pound. It can grow with the length of 45 cm or 18 inches.

6: beak

One of the important features that a kookaburra has is the beak. The length of this beak is 10 cm or 4 inches.  The functions are to snatch the small vertebrates or invertebrates.

7: Prey

One of the main preys of Kookaburra was fowl.  The farmers living in New Zealand and Western Australia were upset with Kookaburra since they ate the fowl. Find out Kiwi bird facts for other info about bird.

8: appearance

Kookaburra has a cute and unique appearance. It was characterized with a white head and dark brown wing plumage. The tail comes in reddish color with black bars.

9: Monogamous

Kookaburra is considered as a monogamous bird. It will nest in tree holes for they are the territorial birds.

10: eggs

The female kookaburra will lay one to five eggs. The parents will take care the fledging kookaburra until they are independent.

More interesting things of kookaburras:

• They don’t drink much water because they get everything they need through food they eat. Kookaburras love to bathe in water.
• A group of kookaburras is called” riot of kookaburras”
• kookaburras are very slow birds. They fly slowly to save their energy.
• Kookaburras lowers their metabolism and temperature during nights.
• Feathers are thicker about 25% than any other bird which give them insulation.
• In many of old tarzan movies jungle sounds were often recordings of laughing of kookaburras

What is special about sounds of kookaburras?

They sound similar to human laughs. Technically they arent laughing while making that sounds but communicationg with their fellow buddies. Generally kookaburras are communal. To establish the family within territory, and warm off other kookaburras they sound vigoursly. Next if anyone of you notice kookaburras making calls try to observe them. They are very intersting creatures.

These kookaburras even though aggressive they are facing prolem to survive. Major threat for their survival is habitat lose due to destruction of eucaplyptus forests. And the other reason is since kookaburras are slow flying birds most of the birds are getting trapped in forest fires which became common disasters. Kookaburras are friends of human beings. They eat snakes, lizards and mostly dont trouble human beings. If anyone is gets intereted about these birds and willing to pet them , we are sorry. It is illegal to keep a kookaburra as a pet.

you can also read about: amphibious centipede: After 143 years, an ambhibious centipede found in japan- Erakina

CHANDANA.THURIMELLA

28/11/2021.