The Kookaburra, familiar to us through Hollywood films or popular cricket ball manufacturers of the same name, is a fascinating bird. Its pleasant chirping is synonymous with the refreshing sounds in most of the movies. Not only is it a superbly vocal bird, but also adapted to its environment in a host of interesting and unusual ways.
It is the largest of all the kingfishers but interestingly, unlike them it does not catch fish and rather feeds on lizards, mice, small birds, insects, small reptiles, crabs, etc. Besides, it also has nest-robbing habits. It does not drink water since it draws all its required moisture from the food. Kookaburra is basically a terrestrial kingfisher, dwelling mostly in woodlands and open forests of mainland and Australia and Tasmania. However, it is chiefly found in the Eastern Australian region. Sizing 18 inches, its head is very large in comparison to its body. They usually nest in the tree-hollows on termite mounds where there are termites that would protect them from the predators. |
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