BLUE-WINGED KOOKABURRA PERCHED
Dacelo leachii
DESCRIPTION
The Blue-winged Kookaburra is a large kingfisher found across northern Australia. It has a pale head, a large powerful bill and brilliant blue and turquoise feathers on its wings and rump. Its blue feathers can look particularly striking when sunlight catches them.
QUICK FACTS
• The Blue-winged Kookaburra is one of Australia’s largest kingfishers.
• Its brilliant blue wing feathers can be partly hidden when the bird is resting.
• Males have mostly blue tails, while females have rufous-brown tails with dark barring.
• They live in family groups and defend their territory.
• Their call is quite different from the famous laugh of the Laughing Kookaburra.
• They usually nest in tree hollows or cavities in termite mounds.
• Young birds may stay with their parents and help care for the next brood.
WHERE IT LIVES
Blue-winged Kookaburras are found across northern Australia. They live in tropical savanna, open woodland, paperbark country and areas around wetlands and waterways. They spend a lot of time perched in trees watching for prey below.
WHAT IT EATS
Blue-winged Kookaburras eat insects, spiders, frogs, small reptiles, small mammals and other small animals. They often hunt from a branch, watching carefully before swooping down to catch their prey.
PETE'S PHOTO STORY
Blue-winged Kookaburras are a familiar sight across the Top End, but their colours still catch my attention. I photographed this one sitting quietly on a branch, with the sunlight bringing out the beautiful turquoise-blue feathers across its wing. From a distance these birds can look quite plain, but through the lens you begin to see just how much colour and detail they really have.