Dacelo leachii (Blue-Winged Kookaburra)

ICUN Status: Least Concern

Blue-Winged Kookaburras are smaller than their laughing comrades. They can be identified by the lack of a dark face mask, and more pronounced blue on their wings. For a period of about 80 years they were considered the same species.

Like all Kookaburras they are carnivorous, eating frogs, lizards, snakes, worms and even small mammals and birds. Their call is a shrill cackle that sounds like the velociraptors in Jurassic Park.

They have two distinct ranges. The larger is from near Brisbane up around the cape through to just south of Brome in WA. The second population is found on the central WA coast.

Now I just need to photograph the other three species of Kookaburras I just learned exist.