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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute	Blue-eared Kingfisher	Laughing Kookaburra
Scientific Name	Alcedo meninting	Dacelo novaeguineae
Order	Coraciiformes	Coraciiformes
Family	Alcedinidae	Alcedinidae
Conservation Status	Least Concern	Least Concern
Length	—	43.0 cm (16.9 in)
Wingspan	13.0 cm (5.1 in)	65.0 cm (25.6 in)
Weight	23.5 g (0.83 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	3-7	1-5
Population Trend	—	—

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Size Comparison

Body Length

Blue-eared Kingfisher —

Laughing Kookaburra 43.0 cm

Wingspan

Blue-eared Kingfisher 13.0 cm

Laughing Kookaburra 65.0 cm

Weight

Blue-eared Kingfisher 23.5 g

Laughing Kookaburra 340.0 g

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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

🌲 Forest

Blue-eared 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

Blue-eared 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

Blue-eared 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

Least Concern

Blue-eared Kingfisher

Least Concern

Laughing Kookaburra

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How to Tell Them Apart

Blue-eared 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

Blue-eared 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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