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Laughing jackass

Dacelo novaeguineae

Photo by Mark Ridgway
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Description:

A Dacelo for Hema. <br> A new visitor to our garden this fresh little guy was checking out what all the other birds were doing. <br> We rarely feed the wild birds but this one was convinced that a dangled piece of bacon rind was worth killing and eating so he beat it on the rocks many times to make sure it was dead, and scoffed it. Although he doesn't get fed he now visits regularly to check.

Habitat:

Outer urban back yard.

Notes:

"The laughing kookaburra was first described in western knowledge systems by French naturalist Johann Hermann in 1783, its specific epithet novaeguineae refers to New Guinea. For many years it was known as Dacelo gigas. <br>
The species was previously known as the laughing jackass and giant kingfisher. Its current name comes from Wiradhuri, an Aboriginal language now effectively extinct." - Wikipedia <br>
family: ALCEDINIDAE <br>
subfamily: Halcyoninae <br>
genus: Dacelo <br>
subgenus: Dacelo (Dacelo) <br>
species: Dacelo (Dacelo) novaeguineae <br>
http://bie.ala.org.au/species/Dacelo+(Dacelo)+novaeguineae# <br>

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (4)

We might not see or recognise him again but it's good enough to hear the whole family each morning and evening on the ridge behind us. It's an amazing sound when 6 of them all sound off together... then again there's a single bird over the valley which perfectly mimics all six at once !! :) Thanks Hema.
Please keep us updated on this little cutie.
Thanks so much! It is simply adorable! lovely plumage too. It must have been funny watching it slam the meat!!

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