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Blue-winged Kookaburra (D. leachii).
I spotted these kookaburra's at Lake Baroon. I love this birds! Kookaburra's are terrestrial kingfishers native to Australia and New Guinea. They are large to very large, with a total length of 28–42 cm (11–17 inches).
Kookaburras are best known for their unmistakable call, which sounds uncannily like loud, echoing human laughter – good-natured, but rather hysterical, merriment in the case of the renowned Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae); and maniacal cackling in the case of the slightly smaller Blue-winged Kookaburra (D. leachii). They are generally not closely associated with water, and can be found in habitats ranging from humid forest to arid savanna, but also in suburban and residential areas near running water and where food can be searched for easily.
Spotted on Feb 11, 2012
Submitted on Feb 12, 2012
2 Comments
Nice closeup.
Hi KMills! This is a great series of pictures. Are you sure you have the Blue-winged Kookaburra and not the Laughing one? The Laughing Kookaburra does actually have a bit of mottled blue on the wings. The male Blue-winged one would also have a blue tail (rufous for the female with a blue bar).