Laughing kookaburra

The laughing kookaburra is a chunky brown-and-white bird from Australia. It has a big head, a strong beak, and a loud voice that everyone remembers. When a kookaburra calls, it sounds just like a person laughing, starting with soft chuckles and rising into a wild “koo-koo-ka-ka-ka.”

A whole family of kookaburras will often laugh together, especially in the early morning and again at dusk. This song is their way of telling other kookaburras, “This is our home, and we look after it.” Their laughing calls carry a long way across the treetops.

Even though the kookaburra belongs to a group of birds called kingfishers, it does not usually catch fish. Instead it perches quietly on a branch and watches the ground below. When it spots an insect, worm, lizard, or snake, it swoops down, grabs the food in its beak, and flies back to its perch.

Kookaburras live in close family groups. When new chicks hatch, the older brothers and sisters do not fly away. They stay to help their parents guard the nest and bring food to the hungry babies. Sharing the work like this helps more young kookaburras grow up safely.

Laughing kookaburras are a common and much-loved sight in Australia, from the bush to city parks and gardens. Many people wake up to their happy laughing call, which is one of the most famous sounds of the Australian morning.