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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute	Laughing Kookaburra	Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher
Scientific Name	Dacelo novaeguineae	Tanysiptera sylvia
Order	Coraciiformes	Coraciiformes
Family	Alcedinidae	Alcedinidae
Conservation Status	Least Concern	Least Concern
Length	43.0 cm (16.9 in)	—
Wingspan	65.0 cm (25.6 in)	18.8 cm (7.4 in)
Weight	340.0 g (11.99 oz)	51.0 g (1.80 oz)
Diet	Insects, lizards, snakes, small mammals, birds, and crustaceans. A sit-and-wait predator that swoops from a …	--
Clutch Size	1-5	3
Population Trend	—	—

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Size Comparison

Body Length

Laughing Kookaburra 43.0 cm

Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher —

Wingspan

Laughing Kookaburra 65.0 cm

Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher 18.8 cm

Weight

Laughing Kookaburra 340.0 g

Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher 51.0 g

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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

🌲 Forest 🌿 Wetland

Laughing Kookaburra only

None

Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher only

None

Laughing Kookaburra

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

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Song & Call Comparison

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.

Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher

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Geographic Range & Migration

Laughing Kookaburra

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

Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Laughing Kookaburra

Least Concern

Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher

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How to Tell Them Apart

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

Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher

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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.

Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher

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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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