The Laughing Kookaburra in Australia is also known by its scientific name of Dacelo novaeguineae. The largest kingfisher in the world is native to eastern mainland Australia; but unlike most of its relatives, it is sedentary and occupies the same territory year round. Its unique call advertises territory throughout their eucalypt woodland and open forest habitats.
Laughing Kookaburra in Australia. Sunday Morning Photograph.
Laughing Kookaburras are carnivorous and use a technique where they wait on a convenient branch or wire until they have a good view of their prey before they drop straight down from their perches and pounce on mice, fish, insects, earthworms, frogs, snails, small birds, and other animals with their beaks ready to grab their food. Laughing Kookaburras bash large prey — such as lizards and snakes — against a tree or a rock to kill them and soften them up before they are eaten.
Laughing Kookaburras mate for life and establish a social system in which only the dominant male and female in a family group will breed. Nests are constructed in tree hollows or termite mounds. The entire family contributes to incubation, feeding, and protection of the young. According to legend, the morning call of the Laughing Kookaburra is a signal for the sky people to light the great fire that illuminates and warms the earth by day.
Final Boarding Call
Trivia time: The Laughing Kookaburra inspired a famous nursery rhyme in Australia called Kookaburra, whose first line is “Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree”. The flute instrumental part of the 1981 hit song Down Under by Men at Work was found by judges in courts in Australia to have infringed on the melody of the nursery rhyme; and members of the band lost a lawsuit against them. You can judge this for yourself and come to your own conclusion. That depressed the late Greg Ham, who was a member of Men at Work and created the flute solo in that song: he allegedly suffered from anxiety as a result of the final verdict that supposedly led to the escalation of his heroine addiction which contributed to a fatal heart attack.
The purpose of the weekly series of Sunday Morning Photograph articles is to feature photographs from my travels around the world which you can view while enjoying your morning coffee.
Please click here for a complete list of the Sunday Morning Photograph series of articles at The Gate With Brian Cohen, which include photographs taken of nature and sights of interest in many countries and territories around the world — including but not limited to:
Albania • Andorra • Argentina • Australia • Austria • Bahamas • Bahrain • Belgium • Belarus • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Botswana • Brazil • Bulgaria • Canada • China • Chile • Colombia • Côte d’Ivoire or Ivory Coast • Croatia • Cyprus — including the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus • Czechia or Czech Republic • Denmark • Dominican Republic • Egypt • England in Great Britain in the United Kingdom • Estonia • Fiji • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Greenland • Hungary • Iceland • Ireland • Italy • Jamaica • Kenya • Kosovo • Latvia • Lebanon • Lesotho • Liechtenstein • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Malaysia • Mexico • Montenegro • Morocco • Mozambique • Netherlands • New Zealand • North Macedonia • Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom • Norway • Oman • Panama • Philippines • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Scotland in Great Britain in the United Kingdom • Singapore • Slovenia • South Africa • South Korea • Spain • Swaziland or Eswatini • Sweden • Switzerland • Thailand • Turkey or the Republic of Türkiye • United Arab Emirates • United States of America • Uruguay • Vanuatu • Wales in Great Britain in the United Kingdom
All photographs ©2025 by Brian Cohen.
