Laughing Kookaburra

Who They Are

Percy: Hatched in 2021, Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguinae)

Where They Originate

Laughing Kookaburras are native to Eastern Australia.

Their Role at Avian Behavior International

Percy is a young kookaburra who is learning and training to be an ambassador. He makes people laugh, like belly laugh, when they visit him during farm tours. Biodiversity is really important, and Percy helps us to talk about why different species have different roles here as well as in their ecosystems.

How You Can Meet Him

Percy is on every farm and aviary tour in our experiences. He is a real ham!

Likes and Dislikes

Likes: Laughing at guest’s dad jokes

Dislikes: Native turkey vultures watching his training sessions

What You Might Not Know About These Birds

Kookaburras have very interesting social dynamics. Their laughing call is territorial in nature and they will fly to each corner of their territory every morning and call at the boundary.

Kookaburras engage in siblicide in the nest and they have specialized beaks as chicks to help them do so. This occurs when resources are slim and they need to ensure the survival of at least one chick.