Kingdom: Animals
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciformes
Family: 10
Species: 191
Kingfishers and their relatives, including the Laughing Kookaburra, get their name from diving into water for fish. Not all the relatives do this type of hunting for food. Many of the species eat insects, seeds, and fruit.
Laughing Kookaburra
Range: East, Southeast and Southwest Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania
Habitat: Forest, grasslands, urban
Conservation Status: Common
Scientific Name: Dacelo novaeguineae
This is the largest of all the Kingfishers. The Laughing Kookaburra is known for its loud call which it delivers with a partly opened bill pointing to the sky and a cocked tail. In urban areas it can become quite tame and will eat from your hand. The Kookaburra captures prey on the ground. It will eat insects, snails, frogs, small birds, fishes, and reptiles. It will crush smaller prey in its bill; it will smash larger prey on branches or logs until they die. In 2008, our Laughing Kookaburra caught a snake passing through its exhibit. It beat the snake on a log and ate him. Bet you’re sorry you missed coming that day!