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
The Australian Bird Guide The Australian Bird Guide The Australian Bird Guide (The Guide) was published by CSIRO Publishing in 2017 and took almost 8 years to produce. The lead author is Peter Menkhorst along with Danny Rogers and Rohan Clarke. Original illustrations are by Jeff Davis, Peter Marsack and Kim Franklin. The guide covers a total of 936 species that comprise 747 breeding residents or regular migrants, 29 introduced species and 160 vagrants. These birds are grouped as marine and costal birds, freshwater birds and terrestrial birds and then taxonomically. Weighing in at almost 1.5 kilograms and with dimensions of 24.6 cm by