Food whacking: Laughing Kookaburras are the largest of the kingfishers and their food preferences reflect that. Kookaburras will eat a variety of insects and invertebrates, but the Laughing Kookaburra specializes in eating larger prey, like snakes and lizards. Even though Kookaburras are birds of prey, they don’t have the typical features seen with these specialized hunters—they don’t have strong taloned feet or sharp beaks made for ripping meat. Instead, the kookaburra uses its head, literally! Kookaburras will grab their prey and holding on to it using their large beaks, will then whack their prey repeatedly against rocks or logs until it is dead. Then, it’s time to eat!

o Sound: Laughing Kookaburras were named for their very distinctive call. The call they make to establish and maintain their territory sounds an awful lot like someone laughing. Since they live in family groups, when the whole family starts to call, it sounds like someone told a fantastic joke to a crowded room. The sound of the laughing kookaburra is so distinctive that it has been hijacked by Hollywood! Have you ever watched a movie with a jungle scene and heard what sounds like monkeys in the background? Listen closely, because it’s frequently our friends the kookaburras calling!

Kookaburras will always laugh at your jokes.