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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute	Laughing Kookaburra	Marquesas Kingfisher
Scientific Name	Dacelo novaeguineae	Todiramphus godeffroyi
Order	Coraciiformes	Coraciiformes
Family	Alcedinidae	Alcedinidae
Conservation Status	Least Concern	Critically Endangered
Length	43.0 cm (16.9 in)	—
Wingspan	65.0 cm (25.6 in)	19.6 cm (7.7 in)
Weight	340.0 g (11.99 oz)	45.0 g (1.59 oz)
Diet	Insects, lizards, snakes, small mammals, birds, and crustaceans. A sit-and-wait predator that swoops from a …	--
Clutch Size	1-5	--
Population Trend	—	—

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Size Comparison

Body Length

Laughing Kookaburra 43.0 cm

Marquesas Kingfisher —

Wingspan

Laughing Kookaburra 65.0 cm

Marquesas Kingfisher 19.6 cm

Weight

Laughing Kookaburra 340.0 g

Marquesas Kingfisher 45.0 g

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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

🌲 Forest

Laughing Kookaburra only

🌿 Wetland

Marquesas 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.

Marquesas 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.

Marquesas Kingfisher

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Laughing Kookaburra

Critically Endangered

Marquesas 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

Marquesas 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.

Marquesas 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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