Have you heard a Kookaburra laugh?!

Discussion in 'Pets and Animal Lovers' started by Paulina, Jun 8, 2008.

  1. Paulina

    Paulina Moderator Staff Member Platinum IL'ite

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    Hi there !! you do have a very unique name ....einfopedia !
    First of all let me thank you for having evinced an interest in a post I made a good 4 years ago ....yes , I got trapped by the Kokaburra song and its trade mark laugh as I spent one afternoon with an old school buddy of mine reminiscing about all the songs we knew and sang during our happy school days .We got into a mood of recollecting ....we are both grandma's now ....thats the beauty of it and the lure of the Kokaburra song was a strong one indeed.
    As for your question ....please go back to my first post in this bunch and you will have all the answers there along with inputs by other members who have seen or heard this bird from Australia .
    I am reposting my first post for your benefit ....hope this helps.
    You will find excellent pictorial presentation of this exotic bird species by Aruna who was resident in Australia for a few years.Please have a quick run of all the FB's here.
    Thanks again ...:):cheers


    Hi ! all friends of the animal and bird kingdom ,

    Has any one heard a Kookaburra laugh?
    During my schooldays we used to sing this merry tune...I'm sure many of us are familiar with this little ditty that goes like this --
    "Kookaburra sits on an old
    gum tree,
    Merry , merry king of the
    bush is he,
    Laugh Kookaburra,laugh
    Kookaburra,
    Gay your life must be."
    The song was composed by Marion Sinclair, a Girl Guide Leader in Australia in the year 1934 and this song introduced this strange bird to the world.
    For long,as a school girl I thought that the Kookaburra was a fictitious bird and belonged to the creators imaginary world. Years later I became enlightened !
    The Kookaburra really exists and is a native of Australia as much as a Kangaroo is .
    Many of our IL members now resident or having visited Australia would have seen and heard this exotic bird and will be able to tell us more.
    The following info is ofcourse derived from our good friend Mr GOOGLE ofcourse!
    The Kookaburra that is indigenous to Australia belongs to the species of the kingfisher family and is roughly 46 cm long.The most famous characteristic is of course its full throated boisterous laughter.The Aboriginals of Australia named it Kookaburra hearing it sounding its call at each dawn and dusk.One kookaburra starts with a low chuckle and others soon join in to round out a cheerful but brief chorus !
    Its call or sound is very unlike any other bird species and remains unique and none so far has decoded the hilarious secret that is wrapped in its merry laughter
    According to a legend belonging to the Aboriginals, the spirits or the "sky people" called on the Kookaburra to awaken them each day so they could light the great fire that illuminates and warms the earth.The law of their clan forbade them to imitate the call for fear of offending the Kookaburra and plunging the world into darkness.
    It was Veronica Parry an American who studied scientifically the social habits of Australias most famous bird species and brought it out of obscurity.Many interesting facts came to light as she spent two years studying them at close quarters.
    The ritual laughing at dawn and dusk in which the entire family joins is the method used by them to mark and reaffirm territorial boundaries.
    Another finding was that unlike other birds, not all young Kookaburras depart the nest to set up their own home.One or more off spring stay with their parents (and forgo mating to have their own families ) to help with territorial defence as well as the care of their parents.In the Kookaburra social set up the term 'empty nest syndrome' obviously has no place ! No old age homes either !! The height of filial piety , one must agree!
    Since Kookaburras have a reasonably good life span of 20 years, they have a low death rate and do not all reproduce, this system helps keep their population in check.
    Australia's winters are mild so there is no need for these birds to migrate.Their social system is stable and sophisticated as they mate for a lifetime and occupy the same nest for 15 years! That definitely speaks volumes for their stable lives
    A hollow in an old gum tree is a favourite nesting place, but any shallow hole that is flat bottomed is an ideal nesting territory.In defending themselves, they fight aggresively rather than try to escape.They feed on small rodents or reptiles and insects.

    The song of the Kookaburra was an instant success as it was carried back to other countries after the big Scout and Guide Jamboree in Australia in 1934.Today it is sung in over 100 countries wherever the Girl Guides meet .When it became a hit Marion Sinclair received hundreds of letters from children the world over and she declared "The success of the song is due to a miracle--the miracle of the Kookaburra".

    warm regards
    PAULINA[​IMG]

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