Overview
Laughing Kookaburra: Large, noisy kingfisher, dark brown upperparts, brown-washed white underparts. Head and neck are white, and dark brown eye-stripe is conspicuous. Bill is large and two toned with black upper and pale brown lower mandibles. Tail is rufous with broad, black bars. Gray legs, feet.
Range and Habitat
Laughing Kookaburra: Native to Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea. Inhabits woodlands, open forests, and suburban areas.
Kingfishers (Alcedinidae)
ORDER
The taxonomic order CORACIIFORMES (pronounced ko-rah-kee-ih-FOR-meez) is composed of six families of colorful birds such as the motmots, rollers, todies, and kingfishers.
FAMILY TAXONOMY
The Alcedinidae (pronounced al-she-DIN-uh-dee) is composed of ninety-five species of kingfishers in eighteen genera found on most continents and many Pacific Islands.
NORTH AMERICA
Six species of kingfishers in two genera occur in North America. These include the widespread Belted Kingfisher, the diminutive Green Kingfisher, and the large billed Ringed Kingfisher.
KNOWN FOR
Like most other members of its family, the Belted Kingfisher is known for its fishing behavior and loud rattling call that is an auditory component of lakes and rivers throughout North America.
PHYSICAL
Although kingfishers in North America can be as small as a thrush or larger than a pigeon, they are all similarly shaped with medium length tails, medium length pointed wings, and a large, crested head. The bills of kingfishers are heavy and look oversized, while their legs are short with small toes, the outer two joined almost to the end (a trait shared by other members of the Coraciiformes).
COLORATION
While many kingfishers in other parts of the world are brilliantly colored in glittering blues, orange and red, the North American species have duller plumages of slate gray, rufous, white, and jade green.
GEOGRAPHIC HABITAT
The widespread Belted Kingfisher is found throughout North America except for the tundra of the far north. Other species have mostly tropical distributions, with just two others occurring in the United States in southern Texas. All three species in the United States utilize aquatic habitats such as lakes, rivers, streams, and estuaries.
MIGRATION
The Belted Kingfisher undertakes both short and long distance migrations to the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America.
HABITS
Outside of the breeding season kingfishers are solitary birds that forage alone. They have a very distinctive manner of foraging for fish by diving head first into the water. While the smaller Green Kingfisher often does this from a perch, the Belted and Ringed Kingfishers typically hover above the water to watch for prey. Like other Coraciiformes, kingfishers nest in tunnels dug into the banks of streams, rivers, and lakes.
CONSERVATION
In North America, kingfishers are fairly common, non-threatened bird species.
INTERESTING FACTS
Kingfishers are birds quite adapted to their aquatic habitats, their eyes having specially adapted lenses for focusing both in and out of the water. They also won’t hesitate to dive into the water to escape a predator.