Whitsundays Kookaburras

There are two main types of kookaburra that you will see in and around the the Whitsundays.

The Blue-winged Kookaburra (Dacelo leachii). which is usually only found in northern Australia and also, southern New Guinea).

The very infamous Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae). is a native to Easter Australia.

Both birds are close relatives and are direct competitors were the habitat overlaps.

Kookaburras are a very famous Australian and best known for their unmistakable laugh, the call sounds very loud and will often wake you up early in morning with their loud cackling call.. For foreigners the first time you hear a kookaburra you will be very impressed with their uncanny laughing sound. Kookaburras have made friends with many suburban locals and will love to feed tit bits of meat. Swooping down from their perch amongst a gum tree the bird will eyeball you as you hold a piece of meat in the air. As meat does not contain all the nutrients a bird needs, it is not advisable to treat them as pets as the lovely bird can get sick without food hunted from the wild. Also they have been know to cause injury to both adults and children with there sharp claws and powerful beaks. If you do want to feed a kookaburra it is very advisable not to hold the food in your hand.

Their usual diet is lizards, geckos, insects, snakes, mice and small birds. Because they show little fear of humans they are often seen hanging around the typical Australian barbecue. Waiting for the odd sausage or two. More common on the mainland than the Whitsunday Islands, were the main bird of prey is the Sea Eagle.

Olly the Kookaburra was chosen as a mascot for the 2000 Australian Olympics along with an Echidna and a platypus.