White-bellied Kingfisher vs Laughing Kookaburra

Corythornis leucogaster compared with Dacelo novaeguineae

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute White-bellied Kingfisher Laughing Kookaburra
Scientific Name Corythornis leucogaster Dacelo novaeguineae
Order Coraciiformes Coraciiformes
Family Alcedinidae Alcedinidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length 43.0 cm (16.9 in)
Wingspan 11.0 cm (4.3 in) 65.0 cm (25.6 in)
Weight 14.375 g (0.51 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 2 1-5
Population Trend

Size Comparison

Body Length
White-bellied Kingfisher
Laughing Kookaburra 43.0 cm
Wingspan
White-bellied Kingfisher 11.0 cm
Laughing Kookaburra 65.0 cm
Weight
White-bellied Kingfisher 14.375 g
Laughing Kookaburra 340.0 g

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

White-bellied Kingfisher only

Laughing Kookaburra only

None

Laughing Kookaburra

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

Song & Call Comparison

White-bellied 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.

Geographic Range & Migration

White-bellied Kingfisher

Laughing Kookaburra

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

Conservation Status

Least Concern

White-bellied Kingfisher

Least Concern

Laughing Kookaburra

How to Tell Them Apart

White-bellied 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

About These Birds

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.

Related Comparisons

More Birds to Explore

Explore the Nature FYI Family