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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute	Pied Kingfisher	Laughing Kookaburra
Scientific Name	Ceryle rudis	Dacelo novaeguineae
Order	Coraciiformes	Coraciiformes
Family	Alcedinidae	Alcedinidae
Conservation Status	Least Concern	Least Concern
Length	—	43.0 cm (16.9 in)
Wingspan	27.2 cm (10.7 in)	65.0 cm (25.6 in)
Weight	87.25 g (3.08 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	1-7	1-5
Population Trend	—	—

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Size Comparison

Body Length

Pied Kingfisher —

Laughing Kookaburra 43.0 cm

Wingspan

Pied Kingfisher 27.2 cm

Laughing Kookaburra 65.0 cm

Weight

Pied Kingfisher 87.25 g

Laughing Kookaburra 340.0 g

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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

🌿 Wetland

Pied Kingfisher only

🏖️ Coastal

Laughing Kookaburra only

🌲 Forest

Laughing Kookaburra

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

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Song & Call Comparison

Pied 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

Pied 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

Pied Kingfisher

Least Concern

Laughing Kookaburra

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How to Tell Them Apart

Pied 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

Pied 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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