Keel-billed Toucan vs Laughing Kookaburra
Ramphastos sulfuratus compared with Dacelo novaeguineae
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Keel-billed Toucan | Laughing Kookaburra |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ramphastos sulfuratus | Dacelo novaeguineae |
| Order | Piciformes | Coraciiformes |
| Family | Ramphastidae | Alcedinidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 50.0 cm (19.7 in) | 43.0 cm (16.9 in) |
| Wingspan | 56.0 cm (22.0 in) | 65.0 cm (25.6 in) |
| Weight | 400.0 g (14.11 oz) | 340.0 g (11.99 oz) |
| Diet | Primarily fruit, supplemented with insects, lizards, eggs, and nestlings. Uses its long bill to reach … | Insects, lizards, snakes, small mammals, birds, and crustaceans. A sit-and-wait predator that swoops from a … |
| Clutch Size | 1-4 | 1-5 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Keel-billed Toucan
Tropical and subtropical lowland rainforests and forest edges from sea level to about 1,900 meters.
Laughing Kookaburra
Eucalyptus forests, woodland, and suburban gardens throughout eastern and southwestern Australia.
Song & Call Comparison
Keel-billed Toucan
Produces a repeated frog-like croaking 'prrrek-prrrek' or 'terrio-terrio'. Not melodic; the call resembles a mechanical rattle or frog. Also gives bill-clattering.
Laughing Kookaburra
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
Keel-billed Toucan
Southern Mexico through Central America to northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela.
Laughing Kookaburra
Eastern Australia from Cape York to South Australia and Tasmania. Introduced to southwestern Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand.
Conservation Status
Keel-billed Toucan
Laughing Kookaburra
How to Tell Them Apart
Keel-billed Toucan
Black body with a bright yellow throat and chest. Red undertail coverts. The enormous bill is green with orange sides, a blue patch, and a red tip.
Enormous, lightweight, multicolored bill up to 15 cm long — green, orange, blue, and red
Laughing Kookaburra
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.
Very large, heavy, dark upper mandible and pale lower mandible
About These Birds
Keel-billed Toucan
The keel-billed toucan is the national bird of Belize and one of the most recognizable birds in the Neotropics. Its oversized bill, which can be a third of its body length, is actually very light due to its hollow honeycomb structure. Toucans roost communally, with up to six adults squeezing into a single tree cavity.
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.