Common Name: Blue-winged Kookaburra
Scientific Name: Dacelo leachii
LEAST CONCERN Blue-winged Kookaburra Distribution: Northern Australia Habitat: Tropical Forest Height: 42cm Weight: 310g Diet: Omnivorous
The Blue Winged Kookaburra is mainly cream in colour but has vivid blue wings and a brown streaked head. They have a long, slender beak, which is also very strong. They have a very distinctive call that sounds like laughing. This gives them their nickname of the ‘Laughing Jackasses of Australia’ This Kookaburra is only found along the northern coast of Australia. It is found in tropical and subtropical eucalyptus woodlands. Other species of Kookaburra are found more commonly all over Australia. This Kookaburra diet is made up of vegetable and meat. It will eat all kinds of fruit and take animals such as snakes and lizards to eat. Kookaburras hunt by surprise using their long, dagger-like, beaks to spear their prey. They are part of the kingfisher family and so hunt in a similar way to kingfishers in this country. These birds live in pairs and nest in holes in the eucalyptus trees. After mating the female lays 2 or 4 eggs. She then sits on them and incubates them for about 25 days. At this point the young hatch and are fed by both parents. They rely on their parents completely for about 30 days when then fledge. However, they still remain close to their parents until they are well over 40 days old.