Blue-winged Kookaburra - Dacelo leachii
Today I am writing about this species of Kookaburra, as I found out something today that was quite interesting. Whilst photographing the bird, I noticed the tail was not blue, so I consulted the bird books to find out more.
We are looking at a female here, because the tail is a foxy orange colour. Apparently, the males have blue tails, that are a rich blue colour in comparison wings. Both have a white tip on the end of their tail. Like all kookaburras this one does laugh but in comparison, it is more like a maniac cackling away. Distinctly this species does not have a dark mask around their eyes, like their southern relatives. The wings also have a more intense and iridescent blue colour to them by comparison too.
The distribution of the blue-winged kookaburra is mainly in the top end of Australia. In Tropical Queensland and PNG. In the rainforests, there is a selection of live prey to choose from, including lizards and frogs. The tropical forests also have a few surprises. Rufus owls, goannas, and olive pithons live here too, and they will eat a kookaburra if they get the chance.
