Laughing kookaburra
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
The laughing kookaburra nests in cavities in tree trunks and branches.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Laughing kookaburra
- Scientific name
- Dacelo novaeguineae
- Japanese name
- ワライカワセミ
- Group
- Birds
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Alcedinidae
- Genus
- Dacelo
This big member of the kingfisher family lives in Australia. Its body is cream-colored, with a black mark behind each eye.
Its call sounds like human laughter. At dawn and dusk, when one starts calling, the others join in for a loud chorus.
It eats snakes, lizards, insects and more, and kills its prey by bashing it against its perch.
How the Laughing kookaburra lives
When hunting, it sits still on a perch and watches for passing prey. It swallows its food whole, head first. Family groups live in the same territory year-round.
San Diego ZooBasic data
- Size
- Total length: 39–42 cm
- Weight
- 190–465 g
- Diet
- Arthropods, earthworms, snails, small mammals, and small reptiles
- Range
- Eastern and southwestern Australia and Tasmania
Where the Laughing kookaburra has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- ワライカワセミ
- 简体中文
- 笑翠鸟
- 繁體中文
- 笑翠鳥
- 한국어
- 웃음물총새
- Español
- Cucaburra común
- Français
- Martin-chasseur géant
- Deutsch
- Jägerliest
- Português (Brasil)
- Cucaburra-grande
- Italiano
- Kookaburra sghignazzante
- العربية
- مازور جبار
- Tiếng Việt
- Sả nhà trò
- Русский
- Смеющаяся кукабара
- Türkçe
- Kukabura
- বাংলা
- হাস্যকর কুকাবুরা
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 多摩動物公園 — ワライカワセミChecked: 2026-11-03
- University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web — Dacelo novaeguineaeChecked: 2026-11-03
- San Diego Zoo — Laughing KookaburraChecked: 2026-11-05
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Laughing kookaburra, look for this
- Look for the pale blue spots on its wings.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
多摩動物公園EXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Laughing kookaburra
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Kanto
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Alcedinidae
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