The Laughing Kookaburra, Dacelo novaeguineae is also called the Laughing Jackass, or simply the Kookaburra. There are actually two species of Kookaburra. As well as the Laughing Kookaburra so familiar to people in the southern states of Australia, there is a Blue-winged Kookaburra, Dacelo leachii, which lives in eastern Queensland. The ranges of the two species overlap.

At Raptor Domain near Vivonne Bay on Kangaroo Island, Dave Irwin included two Kookaburras in his “Birds of Prey” show. The Kookaburra is not technically a raptor, but shares some characteristics with the raptors. The Kookaburra is a large Kingfisher. In the Australian Bush they do not catch many fish because there is little water. In settled areas, Kookaburras will certainly catch Goldfish out of garden ponds. There also catch other pond fish, but brightly coloured fish are easier to see.

In the Bush, the Kookaburras eat almost any animal of the right size. This includes venomous snakes, lizards, small birds, earthworms, insects, mice, etc. Dave Irwin told us that a few days before we saw his show both the Kookaburras caught and ate mice during the show. When an animal is caught by a Kookaburra, the bird will kill the little animal by beating it against a branch. Kookaburras that live near Humans can become quite tame and will come for pieces of meat. The Kookaburra will still beat the meat and make sure it is dead.

The natural range of the Kookaburra is the whole of eastern Australia, including South Australia and Kangaroo Island. They are not native to Tasmania, Western Australia or New Zealand, but have been introduced to these areas. The kookaburra is a protected bird in the areas it is native to, but is not endangered. Kookaburras are believed to mate for life. They breed from August to January. Not only do the two parents share the upbringing of the new babies, but also their offspring from the previous two years help with their younger siblings. The nest is typically a natural hollow in a tree, or sometimes a hole in a termite mound of the type that is in a tree.