About
Animal Facts
Common Name:
Laughing Kookaburra
Scientific Name:
Dacelo novaeguineae
Behavior:
  • Territorial, their loud "laughing" call marks their territory
  • Laughing kookaburras mate for life.
  • Juveniles from the year before often help raise this year’s offspring.
Diet:
Carnivore
Weight:
14 oz
Length:
16 in
Life Span:
15 yrs
Gestation Period:
25 days
Number of Young:
2-4 eggs
Habitats:
  • Forest
Fun Facts:
  • Native to Australia, laughing kookaburras are the largest of all kingfishers.
  • Calling at dawn, they are known as the “bushman’s alarm clock”.
  • They will bash their prey against a perch to kill and soften it before eating.
Threats:
  • Habitat Loss
Endangered Status
Endangered Status
  • Extinct in Wild (EW)
  • Critically Endangered (CR)
  • Endangered (EN)
  • Vulnerable (VU)
  • Near Threatened (NT)
  • Least Concern (LC)
  • Not Evaluated (NE)

We are currently working on getting our kookaburras to step onto our hand so we can put them into a carrier. This will be useful for weighing them and reducing stress before medical procedures.

Saving Species Plan Logo

This species is cooperatively managed as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan program program. This program is responsible for developing a Breeding and Transfer Plan for each species in the program.