The kookaburra is the largest of the Kingfisher family. The laughing kookaburra has a short 
thick body with a very large head with a dark eye streak. Their colourings are mainly brown 
with black markings on top with a creamy white underbelly and head, and "mottled" blue patch 
on their wings. 
They are famous for their laughing calls which usually occur at dawn and dusk and is in fact
the kookaburra "marking out" its territory 

They are found throughout eastern Australia from the northern tip of Queensland right down 
to Tasmania. They have also been introduced to the southern part of Western Australia 
They frequent open forests and eucalypt bushland. 

Like most kingfishers the kookaburra launches itself from a perch to pounce on 
its prey. They enjoy eating most ground-living insects, as well as mice, lizards and snakes. 

The Kookaburras form community groups which together share and defend their 
home territory. As already mentioned they mark this territory with their calls, but 
also will physically defend it from other bird species. 
These community groups have a dominate matting pair and other lesser members. 
Kookaburras do not build nests,instead they use existing cavities in trees or again sometimes a 
tree-termite mound.