Blue-Winged Kookaburra
Blue-Winged Kookaburra Facts
| Size | Up to 16.5 in (42 cm) |
| Speed | Unknown |
| Weight | Up to 11 oz (310 g) |
| Lifespan | Unknown |
| Food | Snakes, fish, insects, frogs |
| Predators | Owls, goshawks |
| Habitat | New Guinea, Australia |
| Order | Coraciiformes |
| Suborder | Kingfishers |
| Family | Alcedinidae |
| Scientific name | Dacelo leachii |
| Characteristics | Looks almost identical to the laughing kookaburra |
Favorite Food: Snakes
The blue-winged kookaburra is known for its special hobby: it loves hunting snakes. It grabs them just behind the head and whacks them against a branch or rock. Eating the snake is a little trickier than catching it. It can’t cut it up with its beak. So after it’s swallowed the head, the rest of the body is still outside. The bird can only swallow it piece by piece, which looks pretty weird.
Laughing Kookaburra and Blue-Winged Kookaburra - How to Tell The Difference
Both birds look very similar. The difference is that the blue-winged kookaburra has a lot more blue feathers, light eyes and small black stripes on its eyes.
The Blue-Winged Kookaburra is a Creative Nest Builder
The blue-winged kookaburra mostly nests in hollow trunks up to 82 ft (25 m). If it can’t find a suitable one, it might even nest in a termite hill. If this isn’t an option either, it will make a hole in the soft wood of the baobab tree. Usually, a female lays three eggs. The little chicks hatch after around 26 days and then stay in the nest for another five weeks.
Blue-Winged Kookaburras Stick Together to Raise Their Young
Relatives and even young birds help to raise the chicks.
- Find out more:
- Hornbill Facts
- Kingfisher Facts
- Laughing Kookaburra Facts
