An emblematic bird of Australasia, kookaburras are perhaps known best for their incredible vocalisations. The laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) is native to eastern Australia and has a range that extends from the Cape York Peninsula in the north to Cape Otway in the south. It is present on both the eastern and the western sides of the Great Dividing Range. It has been introduced into many other areas probably because of its reputation for killing snakes. Kookaburras are closely related to kingfishers and are part of the same family Alcedinidae. There are four species of Kookaburra in the genus Dacelo; the Laughing kookaburra, Blue-winged kookaburra, Rufous kookaburra and Spangled kookaburra. Another, the Shovel-billed kookaburra, sits within its own genus Clytoceyx. So, what do kookaburras eat?
Dietary Overview
Kookaburras eat almost solely vertebrates and invertebrates, ranging from venomous snakes and amphibians to small insects and earthworms. These birds eat mainly arthropods, invertebrates and vertebrates. They’re considered carnivorous, as plant foods make up practically 0% of their diets. Since they consume no vegetable or plant-based foods, kookaburras are considered carnivores. Their diets consist almost solely of invertebrates and vertebrates. But, like kingfishers, some kookaburras also hunt fish.
Hunting and Foraging
Kookaburras often find food by perching on a branch or human-made construction at a height of around 1 to 10m, scanning the floor for prey before swooping in to catch it. They also forage from the tree canopy, especially in the case of the smaller kookaburras of Papua New Guinea. Kookaburras are sometimes observed digging in the ground while searching for ants, earthworms, earwigs and other terrestrial prey. The Shovel-billed kookaburra is excellent at digging - they’re often observed routinely ‘ploughing’ specific areas to hunt for earthworms and other buried prey. Like kingfishers, kookaburras catch aquatic prey like fish and amphibians. When hunting, a laughing kookaburra sits motionless on a perch and watches for prey to pass by. The bird can keep its head perfectly still while its body sways with the branch below. When prey is sighted, the kookaburra swoops down, lands next to it, and grabs it with its bill. It carries the food back to a perch and beats it several times against the branch to kill and soften the prey.
Diet in the Wild
The five species of kookaburra all have relatively similar diets. Kookaburra diets are diverse, ranging from larger lizards, frogs and even venomous snakes to ants, termites and grasshoppers.
Laughing Kookaburras
The largest kookaburra, the Laughing kookaburra, has the most diverse diet of all kookaburras. Laughing kookaburras are the largest kookaburras and have the most diverse diet, consuming all manner of small vertebrates ranging from mice to frogs, snakes and birds. These powerful birds are often spotted catching snakes and reptiles longer than themselves, then bludgeoning them to death on a rock or tree before dismembering them into smaller chunks to eat. With that said, one study in Melbourne found that the Laughing kookaburra’s diet consisted of some 35% snakes and lizards. However, the majority of their diet consists of invertebrates such as beetles, ants, earwigs, centipedes, millipedes, caterpillars, moths and flies of various kinds. Some of the favourite invertebrate prey of kookaburras include grasshoppers, beetles, ants, earwigs, moths, earthworms, cicada, flies, millipedes, spiders, stick insects and centipedes.
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Kookaburras of Papua New Guinea
The kookaburras of Papua New Guinea (Shovel-billed, Rufous-bellied and Spangled kookaburras) have a more insect-driven diet.
Feeding Habits
Kookaburras are diurnal birds that roost for approximately 12-hours a day. They feed throughout much of the day, from daybreak to sunset. Since kookaburras rely primarily on their vision to sight prey on the ground or in the tree canopy, they only hunt during good light conditions.
Seasonal Diet Variations
The kookaburra’s winter diet will hardly differ from its standard diet. These are flexible, adaptable hunters that will eat most valid prey items in their habitats. Winter in most parts of Australia is mild, if practically non-existent. June and July are the coldest months, with the temperature rarely dropping to 5-degrees celsius. Frosts are possible in isolated areas. In summer, the kookaburra’s diet is practically the same as their standard diet. Any valid prey items in their habitat will be readily hunted and consumed. In much of Australia and Papua New Guinea, summer is roasting, with daytime temperatures regularly reaching 40-degrees celsius. As a result, Kookaburras will often shelter from the heat, confining themselves to the cool shade of their forest habitats.
Diet of Baby Kookaburras
Baby kookaburras are primarily fed with soft invertebrates and insects. Typical food items include earthworms, crickets, grasshoppers, cicadas and beetles. Both parents feed the chicks, and are sometimes assisted by nest helpers. Kookaburras live in family groups of around six birds, including last year’s young.
Feeding Kookaburras
Kookaburras feed upon practically any meat scraps, including strips of beef, chicken and pork. They’ll also eat mealworms, preferably live ones. Mice are often fed to captive or rescued kookaburras alongside mealworms and a specially-prepared feed. Kookaburras may also eat fruits and seeds if offered on a bird table or on the ground, but this isn’t their preferred food.
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Kookaburras and Bird Feeders
Kookaburras are much too large to visit back garden bird feeders, and therefore never frequent them. However, they will swoop in to take meat scraps from bird tables. Overall, kookaburras prefer to take food from the ground.
Attracting Kookaburras
Kookaburras are straightforward to attract with mealworms and meat scraps.
Common questions about Kookaburras Diet
Do kookaburras eat chicken?
Kookaburras won’t eat chicken in their native habitat - unless they opportunistically prey on a baby chicken. They will take chicken scraps from garden bird tables, however.
Do kookaburras eat snakes?
Kookaburras are excellent at hunting snakes and have been observed killing and eating snakes of some 1 metre in length! These birds kill snakes by bludgeoning them to death, and then dismembering them into small pieces before eating them.
Do kookaburras eat other birds?
Kookaburras eat other birds and their nestlings, but this isn’t particularly common.
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Do kookaburras eat gumdrops?
The song “Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gumdrop Tree” refers to how these birds use gumdrop trees as a perch. They don’t actually eat the gumdrop seed pods, however. Kookaburras are carnivorous hunters.
Do kookaburras eat fish?
Kookaburras are also known as “terrestrial kingfishers” and are part of the same family as kingfishers, which are excellent at fishing. Kookaburras do catch and eat fish and crustaceans and have been observed diving slightly under the water's surface to do so. They don’t possess the same fishing prowess as many kingfishers, however.
Do kookaburras eat meat?
Kookaburras are considered carnivorous, so they only eat meat.
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