Laughing Kookabura

Dacelo gigas
Laughing Kookabura at Taylor's, June 2007

The Laughing Kookabura is a noisy great kingfisher that really does not belong in Western Australia.

These birds do not live on our property but turn up every day in a family group to see what is on offer. They fly from one of our big trees to another usually in the upper branches but sometimes will come down to sit on one of the chook-run fence posts. They rob nests of small birds and one of the most amazing sights that I have seen here is a kookaburra sitting on a branch with a willy wagtail sitting on its shoulders and pecking at the back of its head until it flew away.

Usually in the evenings but it could be any time of day they will start up their chorus of laughter to mark their territory.