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Common, very large kingfisher with a dark eye and brown cheek patch.
Not listed
Endemic to Australia
Indigenous: Gugurrgaagaa
At a glance
FamilyKingfishers
SizeLarge
RarityCommon
HabitatOpen woodland, creek corridors, forest edge, and scattered tall perches near clearings or water.
Best timeReported across most months in New South Wales, with no narrow seasonal peak.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Marc Anderson
Range map
Range map
9610visible hotspots
851601visible records
5states
SparseModerateDense hotspot
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
In Queensland take care to identify from Blue-winged Kookaburra, which has a pale eye and a pale streaked head.
Behavior
Typical calls include an immediately recognizable and distinctive laugh, which gives the species its common name. Abundant in parks, towns, forests, and campgrounds.
Gallery