Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) Fact Sheet: Diet & Feeding

• Laughing kookaburra prey on animals living on or near the ground (Legge 2004)
• Prey items vary according to what is available in a habitat
  • Millipedes, insects, spiders, small reptiles are commonly eaten
  • Worms, crabs and crayfish, frogs, fish are less common prey
  • Less often - snakes, small mammals, birds
• Adult kookaburra can eat snakes, including venomous ones, nearly 1 m long (3.3 ft) (Ralph & Ralph 1973) (Woodall 2001)

• Like the raptors, kookaburra use their excellent vision to find prey (Moroney & Pettigrew 1987)
• Hunting technique (Fry et al. 1992):
  • Watch for prey from a perch above
  • Swoop down, land, seize prey with bill
  • Carry prey to perch
  • Beat prey against perch to immobilize it, or against ground, or may drop a snake from a height to stun it
  • Swallow prey whole
• Undigested food regurgitated in dry pellets of matted bones, fur, exoskeletons of insects and crustaceans (Eastman 1970)
• Don't usually drink; obtain enough water from prey, but do enjoy bathing (Giles 1994)

Laughing Kookaburras feed on many kinds of insects and other animals living on or near the ground.

Image credit: © San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. All rights reserved.

Eastman (1970)
Fry et al. (1992)
Giles (1994)
Legge (2004)
Moroney & Pettigrew (1987)
Ralph & Ralph (1973)
Woodall (2001)