KOOKABURRA
Scientific Name: Dacelo novaeguineae novaeguineae
Range and Habitat: Medium to dense woodlands of Australia and Tasmania
Size:Largest of the Kingfishers; up to 18 inches in length and weighing up to
one pound
Life Span: 11 years in the wild; up to 15 years in captivity.
Incubation:Breeding cycle begins in October; females lay 2 to 4 eggs. Eggs are incubated for 25 to 29 days.
Wild Diet: Ground-living insects, mice, lizards and snakes moose
Zoo Diet: Softbill Diet and mice
Habits: Famous for their “laughing” calls which occur at dawn and dusk to mark
their territory, they are sometimes called the “Bushman’s Alarm Clock.”
Kookaburras form community groups of a dominant mating pair, mated
for life, and their offspring who stay around to help raise the next
hatched chicks. Their offspring leave at about four years of age. They
will physically defend their territory from other bird species.