Listen to the Laughing kookaburra
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the Laughing kookaburra
The Laughing kookaburra is a bird in the family Alcedinidae (order Coraciiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults weigh around 307 g.
What does the Laughing kookaburra sound like?
Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once. Songs tend to be long and patterned and are used to hold territory and attract a mate; calls are short signals for contact, alarm and flight.
From Wikipedia
The laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) is a bird in the kingfisher subfamily Halcyoninae. It is a large kingfisher with a whitish head and a brown eye-stripe. The upperparts are mostly dark brown but there is a mottled light-blue patch on the wing coverts. The underparts are cream-white and the tail is barred with rufous and black. The plumage of the male and female birds is similar. The territorial call is a distinctive laugh that is often delivered by several birds at the same time, and is widely used as a stock sound effect in situations that involve a jungle setting.
Related birds in the genus Dacelo
More from the family Alcedinidae
Common kingfisher
Alcedo atthis
Pied kingfisher
Ceryle rudis
White-throated kingfisher
Halcyon smyrnensis
Stork-billed kingfisher
Pelargopsis capensis
Grey-headed kingfisher
Halcyon leucocephala
Sacred kingfisher
Todiramphus sanctus
Brown-hooded kingfisher
Halcyon albiventris
Ringed kingfisher
Megaceryle torquata
Green kingfisher
Chloroceryle americana
Shining-blue kingfisher
Alcedo quadribrachys
Frequently asked questions
What does a Laughing kookaburra sound like?
You can hear 2 recordings of the Laughing kookaburra on this page. Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once.
Is the Laughing kookaburra endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Laughing kookaburra as “least concern”.
What family does the Laughing kookaburra belong to?
The Laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) belongs to the family Alcedinidae in the order Coraciiformes.
Sources & credits
- Dacelo novaeguineae ANWC X00516 by Powys, V. – CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Dacelo novaeguineae ANWC X00522 by Powys, V. – CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q824974 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Laughing kookaburra – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by JJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) – CC BY-SA 3.0