Kookaburra sits on the old gum tree! by kimariehere
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Description
Hello all!!
taken last week I climbed over a guard rail and stuck my little cam thr the fence-I felt lucky to get this as they were so close..!!
Heres a little info about this curious fluffy whimsical laughing bird!
The Laughing Kookaburra is a thick-set bird with a large head, short neck, and medium length tail. The bill is long, broad, and somewhat flattened. The head is mostly white with a dark brown crown and a brown stripe through the eye. The breast is creamy white, the wings brown with blue mottling, the back brown and the tail rufous with fine darker brown banding and white edges. Males sport a small patch of blue-green feathers in the center of the rump that is reduced or absent in the female. The eyes are dark brown. The Kookaburra, at 47 cm tall and 500 grams in weight, is one of the largest members of the kingfisher family.
The most famous feature of the species is its loud, boisterous "laugh", a repeated "kook-kook-kook-ka-ka-ka" call that rises and falls in volume as family members join in to form a raucous chorus. Often heard at dawn in the bush, this call has provided the Laughing Kookaburra with another one of its colorful nicknames, "the Bushman's Clock."
The Laughing Kookaburra is native to eastern Australia but over the past century it has been introduced and established in other parts of the continent and on off shore islands such as Tasmania. The Kookaburra is a member of the subfamily Daceloninae, the forest or wood kingfishers. Species in this group are not restricted to riparian habitats and hunt primarily over land. They inhabit open woodlands, forests, orchards, parkland, partially timbered farmland, and even suburbs and towns.
They employ a "sit and wait" technique of hunting, surveying their surroundings from an advantageous perch, then swooping down to seize their prey. Small prey are killed directly by the crushing action of the bill. Larger prey, including snakes of up to 1 meter in length, may be whacked repeatedly against a branch or dropped from a height until pulverized. Prey items include large insects, lizards, snakes, amphibians, small mammals, birds, and occasionally fish.
Kookaburras begin their breeding cycle in October, the Australian spring. Courtship includes vocalizations and conspicuous display flights high over the treetops. Once a pair selects a breeding territory they begin nest construction. Both male and female participate in excavating a nest burrow. In some parts of Australia termites construct enormous clay mound nests high in Acacia trees. These arboreal termite mounds seem to be the preferred nest site for Kookaburras and other kingfisher species. They will also utilize hollow trees, earthen banks, and even holes in walls when better sites are unavailable. Burrows may be two feet deep with an entrance hole four inches in diameter. Two to four white eggs are laid on the bare substrate of the nest chamber. Both parents participate in the 25-29 day incubation.
Hatchlings emerge blind and practically naked. The eyes may not open completely until the bird is nearly 3 weeks old. Parents feed the young a diet consisting primarily of insects, as they remain within the burrow for a full month. When they finally are coaxed from the nest they are already able to fly. The parents continue to feed the fledglings for several weeks after they emerge from the nest. The birds will remain together as a family group until the next breeding season begins.
A song i used to sing my daughters..
Kookaburra sits on the old gum tree
Eating all the gumdrops he can see
Stop Kookaburra, stop Kookaburra
Leave some gums for me
love ya all have a great night or day there
big hugs ♥
~ kimmers! :O)
Comments (75)
jinet
Splendid shot ! Cute and original models, excellent technique. A masterpiece !
jcv2
Impressive capture and story about the Kookaburra! Australia has many very special animal species and it's so fascinating to find new species with all their own behaviour! Fabulous work!
Onslow
Amazing detail and colour for this shot :)
BBarbs
Oh I have always loved that song. We sang it when I was a child, even though I am in the US. I never knew what a Kookaburra was. I think I thought it was a made up bird. Thanks so much for sharing this lovely picture and information about this species of bird. I love reading every bit of it. FANTASTIC WORK. HUGSSSSSSSSSS
sharky_
Very sweet capture. Excellent. Aloha
RodolfoCiminelli
Wonderful and very opportune shot.....!!!!
suresh_krishna
Lovely capture. These birds are, indeed, beautiful. You have done a great job. Thanks for all the info.
marybelgium
adorable !
gwfa
well caught,indeed...
john010766
Bravo, great opportune shot.
Tedz
This Bird has the right attitude...laugh ;]
Snow_Angel
So this is a Kookaburra! Lol..I used to sing that song from the Barney show when I took care of my Grandbaby :D Really nice night capture of these adorable Birds! The lighting is perfection! :)
Ti-Paul
These two love birds are adorable Kimmer !Awesome sharpeness and details ,wonderful light and dark background ,lovely frame work as well ! Thanks for the info ! Picture perfect ! This one rocks girl ! Gd day !
lafayette
They are very beautiful and the light is perfect! Have a great weekend.
romanceworks
Kookaburra! What a darling name for this 'darling' bird. A marvelous shot and little song. I just adore birds - we have all kinds around here in the forest and I make sure they are well fed with my ten different feeders all around my home. They get their seed even in the snow.:o) CC
GOLDILOCKSUK
Oh wow amazing shot Kimmie and what a find. You seem to be in the right place at the right time all the time lol! Well done V Cathy xoxoxo
sossy
they simply look to cute! amazing and fantastic capture! ;o)
odie
WOW...I sing this too, with different words. I told my husband that you caught a shot of these birds and he said to ask if I saw any old gum on the tree....EWWW! We never see Kookaburra's in MN! Thanks! :0)
Lary
Lovely little birds...and very good night shot! :)
avalonfaayre
I used to sing this too! Only the words were, 'Kookaburra sits at the old gum tree, Merry merry King of the Bushes, He...Laugh, Kookaburra, Laugh, Kookaburra...Gay your life must be!" This is really a wonderful shot, and I never knew what or "Who" Kookaburra was. THANKS! I love learning new things, and this is so COOL!
mps
I'm glad they were so willing to pose nice for you. They are an excellent pair. Vote
DennisReed
Exquisite capture and info! Bravo, and thanks Kimmers!
Valentin
Awesome capture of this splendid birds... wonderful !!!!!
Syltermermaid
Wonderful captured bird, Kimmie!!! You are everywhere it seems!!LOL Fantastic photo!!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
Lledeline
Great capture.
GiMi53
Excellent photography ! :~)
Cosme..D..Churruca
Very well done... and beautifully presented !
chips7
Small birds are my favorite animals. These are so cute and adorable. Superb capture!
miladyblu
Hello!Absolutely a fantastic capture!!I love very much these adorable birds on the branches!you are a big artist!Great work!Really well done!V!I enjoyed this your big masterpiece!thank you for sharing!V!I wish you a wonderful sunday!Hugs!
Lissa_lei
Yes I hear them everyday, at dawn, darn them! Beutiful birds but they need a clock to tell them what is a good time to start laughin. still I ,love them to death. Eccellent shot, they look so quiet and sweet, (but are not) Eccellent shot Kym Lina