Kookaburras are large to very large (total length 28–42cm) terrestrial kingfishers native to Australia and New Guinea. The name Kookaburra was loaned from the Wiradjuri word guuguubarra, which is onomatopoeic of its call.
The Laughing Kookaburra - native to eastern Australia and introduced to southwest Australia - shares its genus with the three other Kookaburras. Of these other three, only the Blue-winged Kookaburra inhabits Australia (northern).
Kookaburras are carnivorous. They will eat lizards, snakes, insects, mice, other small birds, and raw meat. In the wild, kookaburras are known to eat the young of other birds and snakes, and insects and small reptiles and even other small birds, such as finches if they are lucky enough to catch them.
They are territorial, and often live with the partly grown chicks of the previous season. The Laughing Kookaburra sing as a chorus to mark their territory, described as good-natured, but rather hysterical, merriment.
Although the kookaburra is restricted to a relatively small part of the world, the distinctive sound it makes has found its way onto many "jungle sound" soundtracks, used in movies and television as well as certain major theme park attractions, no matter where in the world the action is set.
The Dreamtime story of the Kookaburra can be read here: http://www.dreamtime.auz.net/default.asp?PageID=62
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