Laughing kookaburra Laughing kookaburra The laughing kookaburra ("Dacelo novaeguineae") is a bird in the kingfisher subfamily Halcyoninae. It is a large robust kingfisher with a whitish head and a dark eye-stripe. The upperparts are mostly dark brown but there is a mottled light-blue patch on the wing coverts. The underparts are white and the tail is barred with rufous and black. The plumage of the male and female birds is similar. The territorial call is a distinctive laugh that is often delivered by several birds at the same time, and is widely used as a stock sound effect in situations that involve
The Australian Bird Guide and that the details of species and sub-species is a first for Australian birds. It also describes how the maps are derived from data collected by thousands of people over many decades to give some of the best distribution maps seen in Australian Guides. Booktopia sees the "Australian Bird Guide" as "the most comprehensive field guide to Australian birds ever seen", and is effusive about its colour plates and comprehensive species accounts. A review of the guide by Chris Watson, Bafta-winning wildlife sound recordist was predominantly positive and includes an interview with Rohan Clark, one of the authors, which helps