It seems as though we have been studying quite a few birds this week and that trend will continue for today’s Wild Fact. Actually, we are also heading back to Australia and New Guinea to learn about a bird with the coolest call in the world, the Kookaburra. If you live in their range then I am sure you have heard of these interesting birds. Well, what are we waiting for, let’s get out there and see if we can hear the un-mistakeable call of this rather large bird.

I want you to close your eyes and picture yourself walking through the forest on a nice, humid, summer day. All of a sudden you hear someone laughing hysterically. Obviously, you want to find out what is so gosh darn funny so you explore a little further only to find a 42 cm (17″) tall bird looking at you. That’s right, the call of the Kookaburra is very similar to a loud, human laughing hysterically. It is actually uncanny how this bird is able to mimic genuine laughter. You know what, I can’t even describe this so you will have to give it a listen for yourself. The short video below will give you an idea what these large birds sound like.

You can’t tell me you didn’t laugh while watching that video clip.

So what exactly is a Kookaburra? Well, it is a bird, silly! Okay, I guess I can be a little more specific. They are actually part of the Kingfisher family. In fact they are the largest member of their family and interestingly enough one of the fastest fliers. No wonder they are laughing all the time – they are clearly living the good life as the family favourite.  Like other Kingfishers, the Kookaburra is a meat eater, typically feeding on young birds or snakes. They will also compliment their diet with insects and reptiles just because having a balanced diet is important.

Kookaburra Fast Fact – If you have ever witnessed the Kookaburra capture a snake then you may think they are barbaric savages. This particular bird will usually catch a snake by the back of the head and will end their life by dropping them from a great height. If this doesn’t work then they will simply beat them with their bill before swallowing them. I definitely wouldn’t trust the Kookaburra to babysit your young child.

That does it for the second last fact of the week. Hopefully I will see you here tomorrow to learn about another interesting and unique animal. Enjoy the rest of your day.