Laughing kookaburra recognised: The laughing kookaburra is the largest kingfisher. It is a stout, stocky bird in length, with a large head, prominent brown eyes, and a very large bill. The sexes are very similar, although the female is usually larger and has less blue to the rump than the male. The male weighs and the female . They have a white or cream-coloured body and head with a dark brown stripe across each eye and more faintly over the top of the head. The wings and back are brown with sky blue spots on the shoulders. The tail is rusty reddish-orange
The Australian Bird Guide Scientific Industrial Research Organisation). The Guide provides detailed maps indicating where a species or sub-species are likely to occur and shading to help identify where the birds are most likely to occur. Several of the reviewers highlighted this feature as a major positive of the guide and the "10,000 Bird" review considered the 2 field guides with this feature the best available. The Foreword to "The Australian Bird Guide" was written by Paul Sullivan, Chief Executive of Birdlife Australia, Australia’s peak ornithological body. This foreword states that the authors and artists of this book are considered leaders in their field