The
Laughing Kookaburra is found on the east coast of Australia
living in open forest, woodlands, and often seen in suburban
gardens. It is the largest of the Kingfisher family that has
more than 80 species the world over, Australia is home to
10 species, the Laughing Kookaburra being one.
The
Kookaburra rarely eat fish as one might assume from its Kingfisher
name, but prefer eating rodents, lizards, yabbies, a variety
of insects, and is also well known for eating young snakes.
They watch in silence from a vantage point in a tree, then
swoop down to catch the prey.They
kill their prey by holding it in their strong beak, and beating
it against a tree branch.
Anyone
living in Australia, or any visitor to our shores are well
acquainted with the "laugh" of the Kookaburra, it
is for me one of the loveliest sounds early in the morning,
and at sundown.It tilts it's head upwards and the tail moves
up and down when making this distinctive sound.
Early
settlers are said to have been very unnerved by this laugh
in the forest, probably not knowing at first what made it.
The
nest is usually situated in a tree hollow, breeding takes
place in early spring.
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