For more information
on other animals found at Cub Creek Science Camp visit our
animal page.
A Kookaburra in the wild.
A Kookaburra nesting in a tree cavity.
Laughing Kookaburra
Dacelo novaeguineae
Stevie, our Laughing
Kookaburra
Where am I from?
The Kookaburra originates
from the eucalyptus forests of eastern Australia. They are
native to Australia and New Guinea. They are very
territorial and will mark their borders.
Who are my relatives?
Kookaburra are terrestrial
Kingfishers. They are in the family Halcyonidae which
is the largest of the three families in the Kingfisher
group. This includes 56 - 61 species including several
species of kookaburras. Kingfishers have a large head, short
stocky body. stout beak and short legs. The Kookaburra
is the largest member of the kingfisher family.
How am I born and how long
does it take me to grow up?
Kookaburra often live in
pairs and are monogamous. The female will lay 2 to
five pure white eggs in a hollow tree cavity and both the
male and female will incubate the eggs for up to 25 days.
The young will then leave the nest after 30 days but the
parents will continue to feed them for at least another 40
days. They can grow up to 18 inches in length with a 4 inch
bill. Once the kookaburra are grown they will continue to
live together in a big family for several years and will
help to raise the younger brothers and sisters together.
The Kookaburra can live up to 20 years.
What do I eat?
Kookaburra are carnivores and
eat a variety of meat that ranges from insects and small
reptiles to baby birds and mice. When the Kookaburra
eats it will whack it's food hard against the perch to kill
of break the bones of it's prey. Once it is satisfied
that it is ready to eat it will gulp it down in a series of
jerky motions.
Other interesting facts.
The Kookaburra makes a loud
raspy, cackling noise that can sound like a human laughing
hysterically. They are known in the Australian outback as
the bushman's clock because of the loud laughter they make
as soon as the sun comes up. They also raise a wild
chorus of crazy laughter as they go to roost.
At Cub Creek Science Camp!
At Cub Creek Science Camp we have a
Kookaburra named Stevie.
He is definitely a favorite with the summer
campers. Stevie is hand fed giant meal worms, strips
of meat, and small mice. He is very good about taking
the meat from your hand, but unless it is very soft or very
small he will hit it on his perch over and over again until
it is ready to eat. He often surprises us with loud
outbursts of crazy laughter.
