Blue-winged kookaburra highly aggressive in the first week of life, and the youngest chick is often killed by the older chicks during this period. Once fledged, juvenile birds need to be taught how to hunt by their parents for a further 6–10 weeks before they can properly fend for themselves. The red goshawk and rufous owl prey upon the blue-winged kookaburra. Adult birds are also slow flyers and vulnerable to being hit by cars on country roads. Nests are susceptible to raids by Olive Pythons, quolls and goannas. Blue-winged kookaburra The blue-winged kookaburra ("Dacelo leachii") is a large species of kingfisher native
Blue-winged kookaburra officially described by Nicholas Aylward Vigors and Thomas Horsfield in 1826, its specific name commemorating the British zoologist William Elford Leach. It is one of four members of the genus "Dacelo" which are commonly known as kookaburras. Alternative common names include barking or howling jackass, or Leach's kookaburra. The number of subspecies is unclear - with four recognised by most authorities, although others have proposed the three Australian subspecies gradually change across Australia and should be treated as one. The adult blue-winged kookaburra measures around in length and weighs 260 to 330 g. Compared to the related laughing kookaburra, it