Laughing Kookaburra
Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.
The Laughing Kookaburra is native to eastern Australia and is the largest species of kingfisher. It is one of Australia’s most beloved national symbols. They live in a group called a ‘riot’. The Laughing Kookaburra famously gets its name from its song, which can resemble the sounds of soft chuckling or raucous laughter. A riot of Laughing Kookaburra is most often heard at dawn and dusk. The sexes are very similar in appearance. The male is distinguished by the blue hues on his wing feathers and darker blue on his tail feathers. The female (seen in this photo) is generally larger than the male, but only has a small amount of blue on her wing feathers and no blue on her tail feathers. Laughing Kookaburras are carnivorous; they will eat lizards, snakes, frogs, spiders and rodents. They're also known to swoop down and snatch a sausage from a barbeque. Laughing kookaburras live in bushland territories and are a common sight in suburban gardens and built-up areas. They are very tame around humans and will often eat out of a person's hand and allow them to rub their bellies (Source: birdsinbackyards.net ... and others)
Laughing Kookaburra
Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.
The Laughing Kookaburra is native to eastern Australia and is the largest species of kingfisher. It is one of Australia’s most beloved national symbols. They live in a group called a ‘riot’. The Laughing Kookaburra famously gets its name from its song, which can resemble the sounds of soft chuckling or raucous laughter. A riot of Laughing Kookaburra is most often heard at dawn and dusk. The sexes are very similar in appearance. The male is distinguished by the blue hues on his wing feathers and darker blue on his tail feathers. The female (seen in this photo) is generally larger than the male, but only has a small amount of blue on her wing feathers and no blue on her tail feathers. Laughing Kookaburras are carnivorous; they will eat lizards, snakes, frogs, spiders and rodents. They're also known to swoop down and snatch a sausage from a barbeque. Laughing kookaburras live in bushland territories and are a common sight in suburban gardens and built-up areas. They are very tame around humans and will often eat out of a person's hand and allow them to rub their bellies (Source: birdsinbackyards.net ... and others)