Bird guideBlue-winged Kookaburra

Very large kingfisher with a lot of blue in the wings and tail.

⚠️Not listed
🍃Indigenous: Gugubara, O-Gorrowkorrow, Wurralg, Gorrowkkorrow, Garrukal', Gurrb-Gurrb, Gorrpgorrp

At a glance

FamilyKingfishers
SizeMedium
RarityCommon
HabitatFound in family groups of up to 12 individuals, it lives in open savannah woodland and Melaleuca swamps, as well as farmlands such as sugarcane plantations.
Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from June to October.

Sounds

Sound sample
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Recorded by Marc Anderson

Range map

Range map

2893visible hotspots
68837visible records
4states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence

Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.

Species notes

Overview

Note pale eye and pale, finely streaked head. Occurs across northern Australia in a variety of woodland habitats including parks and gardens. Often perches on powerlines.

Behavior

Its call is quite different to the Laughing Kookaburra, typically a loud rolling squawk and various loud yapping sounds.

Regional timing

Western Australia
Peak: June to September11,999 records
Queensland
Peak: June to October31,727 records
Northern Territory
Peak: June to October24,721 records
New South Wales
Peak: February to March9 records
Australian Capital Territory
Peak: October1 records
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