The four species of Kookaburras (Dacelo) are kingfishers found in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands.
The Rufous-bellied Kookaburra (D. gaudichaud) is found in the New Guinea lowlands and nearby islands. This large kingfisher is found mainly in the lower canopy of monsoon and riverine forest, but also in primary rainforest, floodplain forest, parkland, secondary growth, thick coastal palm scrub, mangroves, and gardens. It may also use isolated patches of land in cleared areas, and Teak (Tectona grandis) or Rain Tree (Samanea saman) plantations. For breeding, Rufous-bellied Kookaburras require arboreal termitaria. Although these kingfishers are generally found below 500 m elevation, they have been recorded up to 1300 m. The diet consists of arthropods and small vertebrates, with most foraging in the lower canopy. The nest is excavated in an active termite nest, typically 2 to 40 m above the ground in a tree. Clutch size is 2 eggs and young are fed by both parents. Rufous-bellied Kookaburras are common and widely distributed in New Guinea.
Spangled Kookaburras (D. tyro) are found in southern New Guinea and (historically) the Aru Islands in wooded dry savanna, in thickets of Dillenea alata on swamp margins, and in mosaics of monsoon forest, thickets, and Melaleuca savanna woodland, as well as in dense monsoon and riverine forest. They keep mostly to the understorey, feeding mainly from a perch 1 to 4 m high. The Spangled Kookaburra's nest is excavated in a termitarium above the ground (it is possible that tree cavities are used as well). Although the Spangled Kookaburra is relatively common within its range, the restricted distribution make the species somewhat vulnerable.
Blue-winged Kookaburras (D. leachii) are found in northern Australia and southern New Guinea. They occur in savanna woodland and Eucalyptus open woodland and forest, in tall trees and woodland along watercourses, and in riverine and littoral mangrove and monsoon forest. They avoid areas with a dense understorey. They may also be found in pastures and cultivated land with stands of trees, in plantations far from water, and in large suburban parks and gardens. Although they are found mainly in the lowlands in New Guinea, they can be found locally to 600 m. Where its range overlaps with that of the Laughing Kookaburra (D. novaeguineae), the Blue-winged Kookaburra is usually more common away from water. The diet includes a wide variety of arthropods, snails, earthworms, and small vertebrates. Blue-winged Kookaburras hunts from a perch, typically 2 to 4 m above the ground. They may breed as a pair or in a group of up to 12 individals, but most commonly in a group of 3. The extra "helper(s)" are young from the previous several years. Nests are in tree cavities or in termite nests on the ground or in trees. Blue-winged Kookaburras are fairly common over most of their range.
The Laughing Kookaburra (D. novaeguineae) is found in eastern and southwestern Australia in Eucalyptus forest and woodland, using riparian trees along major watercourses to extend inland or into primary forest. Laughing Kookaburras are also found on wooded and cleared farmland and in city parks and suburban gardens so long as appropriate nesting cavities are available. In some areas of overlap with the Blue-winged Kookaburra, the two species are interspecifically territorial; in other areas, Blue-winged Kookaburras use drier habitats. The Laughing Kookaburra's well studied diet includes earthworms, snails, diverse arthropods, and small vertebrates. Most prey is taken from the ground. Snakes up to 1 m long may be grabbed behind the head, beaten violently on the ground or on a perch, then swallowed head first. Scraps may be taken at picnic areas. Undigested food is regurgitated as pellets, which accumulate beneath regular roosting sites. A breeding pair is often assisted by 4 or 5 "helpers", mostly male young from previous years.Lifespan in the wild is up to around 11 years. The Laughing Kookaburra is common over most of its range and has generally benefited from human settlement, although density declines where farmland is converted to housing.
(Woodall 2001 and references therein)
Phylogeny Dacelo
Shovel-billed kookaburra (Clytoceyx rex)
Cladogram based on the molecular analysis by Andersen and colleagues published in 2017.[2]Kookaburras (pronounced /ˈkʊkəbʌrə/)[3] are terrestrial tree kingfishers of the genus Dacelo native to Australia and New Guinea, which grow to between 28 and 47 cm (11 and 19 in) in length and weigh around 300 g (11 oz). The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri guuguubarra, onomatopoeic of its call. The loud, distinctive call of the laughing kookaburra is widely used as a stock sound effect in situations that involve an Australian bush setting or tropical jungle, especially in older movies.
They are found in habitats ranging from humid forest to arid savannah, as well as in suburban areas with tall trees or near running water. Though they belong to the larger group known as "kingfishers", kookaburras are not closely associated with water.[4]
The genus Dacelo was introduced by English zoologist William Elford Leach in 1815.[5] The type species is the laughing kookaburra.[1] The name Dacelo is an anagram of alcedo, the Latin word for a kingfisher.[6] A molecular study published in 2017 found that the genus Dacelo, as then defined, was paraphyletic. The shovel-billed kookaburra was previously classified in the monotypic genus Clytoceyx, but was reclassified into Dacelo based on phylogenetic evidence.[2]
Five species of kookaburra can be found in Australia, New Guinea, and the Aru Islands:[7]
Unusually for close relatives, the laughing and blue-winged species are direct competitors in the area where their ranges now overlap.[8] This suggests that these two species evolved in isolation, possibly during a period when Australia and New Guinea were more distant.
Kookaburras are sexually dimorphic. This is noticeable in the blue-winged and the rufous-bellied, where males have blue tails and females have reddish-brown tails.
Kookaburras are almost exclusively carnivorous, eating mice, snakes, insects, small reptiles, and the young of other birds; unlike many other kingfishers, they rarely eat fish, although they have been known to take goldfish from garden ponds. In zoos, they are usually fed food for birds of prey.
The most social birds accept handouts and take meat from barbecues. Feeding kookaburras ground beef or pet food is not advised, as these do not include enough calcium and roughage.[9]
They are territorial, except for the rufous-bellied, which often live with their young from the previous season.[10] They often sing as a chorus to mark their territory.
All kookaburra species are listed as least concern. Australian law protects native birds, including kookaburras.[11]
The distinctive sound of the laughing kookaburra's call resembles human laughter, is widely used in filmmaking and television productions, as well as certain Disney theme-park attractions, regardless of African, Asian, or South American jungle settings. Kookaburras have also appeared in several video games, including (Lineage II, Battletoads, and World of Warcraft). The children's television series Splatalot! includes an Australian character called "Kookaburra" (or "Kook"), whose costume includes decorative wings that recall the bird's plumage, and who is noted for his distinctive, high-pitched laugh. Olly the Kookaburra was one of the three mascots chosen for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. The other mascots were Millie the Echidna and Syd the Platypus. The call of a kookaburra nicknamed "Jacko" was for many years used as the morning opening theme by ABC radio stations, and for Radio Australia's overseas broadcasts.[12]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) Kookaburras (pronounced /ˈkʊkəbʌrə/) are terrestrial tree kingfishers of the genus Dacelo native to Australia and New Guinea, which grow to between 28 and 47 cm (11 and 19 in) in length and weigh around 300 g (11 oz). The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri guuguubarra, onomatopoeic of its call. The loud, distinctive call of the laughing kookaburra is widely used as a stock sound effect in situations that involve an Australian bush setting or tropical jungle, especially in older movies.
They are found in habitats ranging from humid forest to arid savannah, as well as in suburban areas with tall trees or near running water. Though they belong to the larger group known as "kingfishers", kookaburras are not closely associated with water.
