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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute	Javan Blue-banded Kingfisher	Laughing Kookaburra
Scientific Name	Alcedo euryzona	Dacelo novaeguineae
Order	Coraciiformes	Coraciiformes
Family	Alcedinidae	Alcedinidae
Conservation Status	Critically Endangered	Least Concern
Length	—	43.0 cm (16.9 in)
Wingspan	17.1 cm (6.7 in)	65.0 cm (25.6 in)
Weight	43.1 g (1.52 oz)	340.0 g (11.99 oz)
Diet	--	Insects, lizards, snakes, small mammals, birds, and crustaceans. A sit-and-wait predator that swoops from a …
Clutch Size	3-5	1-5
Population Trend	—	—

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Size Comparison

Body Length

Javan Blue-banded Kingfisher —

Laughing Kookaburra 43.0 cm

Wingspan

Javan Blue-banded Kingfisher 17.1 cm

Laughing Kookaburra 65.0 cm

Weight

Javan Blue-banded Kingfisher 43.1 g

Laughing Kookaburra 340.0 g

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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

🌲 Forest

Javan Blue-banded Kingfisher only

🏖️ Coastal

Laughing Kookaburra only

🌿 Wetland

Laughing Kookaburra

Eucalyptus forests, woodland, and suburban gardens throughout eastern and southwestern Australia.

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Song & Call Comparison

Javan Blue-banded Kingfisher

Laughing Kookaburra

Song

The eponymous call: a loud, rollicking laughter 'koo-koo-koo-ka-ka-ka-ka', rising then falling. Family groups call together creating a cacophony. Iconic sound of the Australian bush.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Javan Blue-banded Kingfisher

Laughing Kookaburra

Eastern Australia from Cape York to South Australia and Tasmania. Introduced to southwestern Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand.

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Conservation Status

Critically Endangered

Javan Blue-banded Kingfisher

Least Concern

Laughing Kookaburra

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How to Tell Them Apart

Javan Blue-banded Kingfisher

Laughing Kookaburra

Plumage

Brown upperparts with blue patches on the wings and rump. Creamy white head and underparts with a dark eye stripe. Dark brown tail with rufous barring.

Bill

Very large, heavy, dark upper mandible and pale lower mandible

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About These Birds

Javan Blue-banded Kingfisher

Laughing Kookaburra

The laughing kookaburra is the largest kingfisher in the world, famous for its raucous laughing call that has become an iconic sound of the Australian bush. Despite being a kingfisher, it rarely eats fish, preferring terrestrial prey. Family groups perform chorus calls at dawn and dusk to mark their territory.

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Related Comparisons

Common Kingfisher vs Laughing Kookaburra

same-family

Turquoise-fronted Amazon vs Laughing Kookaburra

look-alike

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More Birds to Explore

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