That’s a laugh!
Jun 19th, 2008 by Duncan
When I think of our Australian birds, there is to my mind one that stands out as the most iconic of them all, the Laughing Kookaburra, or Kooka for short. The largest of our kingfishers, their call is one of the aural experiences in the bird world, and perhaps no-one described it better than the late Graham Pizzey, and I quote from his field guide. “Voice: famed “laugh”: staccato ‘kook-kook-kook’ slowing to chuckles, taken up by group, answered by others” Now, Graham put “laugh” into quotes, emphasising that it’s not a laugh at all, but simply the bird’s call, but you know, I have my doubts. Anyone who’s spent time wandering about in the bush and has tripped over a log, had their hat knocked off by a branch, or got hopelessly snarled up in scrub, would surely have had the experience of hearing kookaburras start “laughing” as if it was the biggest joke they’d ever seen. It’s happened to me so many times in so many situations that I refuse to believe that it’s only coincidence!
I was over at the golf course yesterday with Gouldiae, trundling around in a golf buggy identifying the various tree species growing in this picturesque bush course, when we spotted this one perched on a branch, scanning the ground with eagle eye in the characteristic manner of the species.
Their diet includes lizards, small snakes, and insects, and they’re a common sight along the roadsides, perched on power lines keeping an eye out for movement on the ground below. Years ago when we had a place on the east coast, we had many a laugh watching kookas extracting the big scrub worms from the ground. We’d see one drop down from one of the mahogany gums, drive its bill into the black sandy soil, pause, then pull, drawing a couple of inches of worm from its hole, pause, pull, pause, pull, until it would be at full stretch backwards, sitting on its tail feathers. A last tug would do the trick and it would be off to a perch to consume the eight or nine inches of juicy worm. They get very used to people around camp grounds, and if you’re having a barbecue, you’d better keep tabs on the sausages or risk having them being carried off, probably to peals of laughter from an appreciative audience.
You are so right about the bbq – had one borrow a sausage right off a hot bbq plate many years ago in WA. Not funny Jack.
I’m pretty certain that’s the one that ‘laughs’ at many of my golf shots DF!
Pays to take a few extra I guess Trevor, worth giving them one or two just for the fun of it!
Come on Gouldiae, I know you won a chook the other day, you’ve gotta be hitting ‘em well to do that.
Interesting how often the Kookaburras laugh turned up in the old Tarzan movies. I am told it was because the directors of the films thought they sounded like some sort of exotic monkey!
McHale’s Navy was another John, had the cheek to call it a Gooney Bird if my memory serves me right.
Well, that particular show WAS pretty Gooney!
You’re not wrong John!
what a fun read! and a superb image as always my friend, I swear he’s grinning at you and John discussing ‘gooney birds’
thanks for the natural history AND the smiles 
(and for your nice email too)
Thank you Cindy, I always look to your work for inspiration.