Kookas

When you need a smile it’s always great to hear the resounding call of a Laughing Kookaburra, or even better, an extended family of kookas laughing in unison.

Laughing Kookaburra

This week I’m sharing a selection of favourite my kookaburra shots. They’ve been visiting my place a lot recently and laughing loudly to define their territory. The kooka above is a fairly young bird, I’ll explain more in later shots. A series of my misty kookaburra shots were used as a kitchen splashback a few years ago, it looked fabulous.

Laughing Kookaburra

I took this photograph in the Dandenong Ranges while waiting for a hair cut. I was stoked to have my camera with me (I mean who doesn’t take their camera to the hairdressers) when I saw this beautiful bird sitting on such a neat perch.

Laughing Kookaburra

This young Kookaburra was braving the breeze in the Canberra Botanic Gardens, despite the way it looks it isn’t a new crested species! Laughing Kookaburras are born with black bills, as they grow old their lower bill gradually becomes much lighter.

Laughing Kookaburra

This shot was used in the CSIRO book A Hollow is a Home by Abbie Mitchell. I took this photograph just north of the Murray River at Mildura. It’s one of the nicest looking hollows I’ve seen.

Laughing Kookaburra

I’ve shared this strange picture to give a good view of the lower bill. It’s quite a peculiar feature I think.

Laughing Kookaburra

And here is one having a good laugh and showing off its ‘avian tonsils’, or lymphoid tissue, in the process!

Happy birding, Kim

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6 comments to Kookas

  • Dona Wormald

    Thank You Kim;

    OH! my what a thrill, in my imagination could swear I could hear their laugh , goose bumps appeared. Love Dona

  • Margot

    What a delightful and varied collection. I especially like the one you took while waiting for a haircut. Then the one that followed looked as if it should have next turn at the hairdresser!

  • I adore kookas and envy you seeing/hearing them regularly.
    Sadly I have read that their numbers are also in decline.
    Thanks for sharing these WONDERFUL shots.

    • lirralirra

      I’ve heard that about their numbers too EC, pretty sad. Hopefully they’ll make a comeback as more and more people realise the intrinsic value of our environment and it’s inhabitants.

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