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Bio Facts: Laughing Kookaburra
Common Name: Laughing Kookaburra
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Scientific Name: Dacelo novaeguineae
Family: Alcedinidae
Order: Coraciiformes
Class: Aves
Range: Eastern and southeastern Australia
Habitat: Woodlands and open forests
Description: Large head, short neck, and husky build.  It is the largest of the kingfishers - up to 18 inches long.  Back and wings are brown with light blue specks on shoulders, and a white patch at the base of the wing quills.  Tail is white and barred with black.  Feet have syndactyl toes (3 forward, 1 backward).
Life Expectancy: Up to 15 years
Sexual Maturity: 1 year
Diet: In the wild, they eat Insects, larvae, rodents, eggs, and snakes.  In the Zoo, they are fed mice, bird of prey mix, crickets and mealworms.
Status: Not listed
Behaviors:

Breeding occurs between September and January.  Nesting is done in the hole of a tree trunk or a termite mound.  The incubation period is 25-27 days, and 2-4 eggs are hatched.  Both the male and female incubate and take care of the young.  They mate for life. 

The laughing kookaburra is known for the laughing call it makes at dusk and dawn.
Adaptations: The strong bill is used to make nests in tree trunks and termite mounds.  Syndactyl feet are used for perching, and allow the laughing kookaburra to stay very still.  They can swoop down quietly from a standstill to catch prey.
Special Interest:

The famous naturalist, John Gould, wrote about the laughing kookaburra, “It rises with the dawn when the woods re-echo with its gurgling laugh; at sunset it is again heard.”  Its voice can be heard up to half a mile away.

The laughing kookaburra is a member of the kingfisher family (Alcedinidae).
Folklore: The Australian Aborigines believe that God made the laughing kookaburra have such loud, pronounced laughter at dawn, so humans would not miss the sunrise.  They also believe that children who insulted a kookaburra would sprout an extra slanted-tooth.
Conservation: The main threat to the laughing kookaburra is loss of habitat.
Jacksonville Zoo History: Except for a short period between January 1975 and February 1978, this species has been exhibited since May 1966.  It has successfully bred here.
Revised: December 2000