Laughing kookaburras are native to the eastern mainland Australia only. They have been introduced to many other islands and western Australia and also in New Zealand and Tasmania.

Their preferred habitat is sclerophyl forest, or a type of forest characterized by trees with thick, fleshy leaves. These type of trees are found in more dry climates and Australia is famous for its eucalyptus or “gum” trees that share this very characteristic.

They also thrive in parks and gardens because the ground is often clear and easy to spot prey from perches high above. The same layout is shared by their natural habitat. They also can be found around farmland and grasslands too.

The laughing kookaburra is an adept predator and has a diet more like a bird of prey than a typical kingfisher. This is an excellent survival strategy and has helped them spread far and wide and exploit all kinds of food sources that are not dependent on bodies of water.

Animals most often consumed by laughing kookaburras are lizards, small mouse-sized mammals, large insects, small birds and hatchlings, and sometimes even venomous snakes.

They catch prey by waiting patiently on a perch until something passes by. Then, they spring into action and catch them with their large powerful beaks. This is exactly what happened when a kookaburra swept in and grabbed this large huntsman spider!

To find a mate, the kookaburra female will act much like a baby chick and approach the male begging for food, he will then bring some prey to her and feed her while making soft vocalizations. If the match is right, they will stay together for the rest of their lives.

Mating season runs from October to November. When it comes time to lay the eggs, the females will lay about three eggs around two days apart.

This gives the first two eggs an advantage over the next. The two larger siblings will often attack the smaller one and if food is scarce, they may even eat it. It may seem brutal, but in an environment as dry and hot as Australia, this harsh strategy has helped the kookaburras in the long run. After around five weeks, the babies that survive will fledge.

Kookaburras from previous clutches will help raise the new chicks.

Laughing kookaburras are the largest of all the kingfishers, which are more well-known for their ability to catch fish by perching on logs or tree limbs and then diving into the water.

 Their biggest claim to fame is their voice. If you have watched any film with a jungle scene or jungle noises, chances are you have heard their unforgettable call. Their voice has been used for decades as a stock sound for a troop of monkeys or classic jungle noises. The irony is that the only jungles they inhabit are in northern Australia.

Their call is so recognizable it was called the bushman’s alarm clock because they will call at sunrise and sunset, and aboriginal Australians and immigrants alike staying in the outback conveniently use their classic laugh as a reminder when to start the day.

They use this call to signal territorial borders with other birds. Kookaburras often live in loose knit family groups and when one kookaburra starts calling, if other rivals can hear the call, whole families will join in and fill the forest with a ringing laughter.