The
Laughing
Kookaburra
Australia's Bird of Legend
Classification
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Halcyonidae
Genus: Dacelo
Species: Novaeguineae or Gigas ???
Discovery
The first laughing kookaburra specimen recovered are in Sir Joseph Bank's collection from Captain Cook's voyage from 1769 to 1771 [2]. The first time this bird is written about in literature is in a book published in Paris in 1776 by Pierre Sonnerat called Voyage to New Guinea. He states that he observed the large species of kingfisher that anyone had reported to date and illustrated the first known drawing of this bird which is shown below.
The "Laughing Jackass"
There have been many nicknames for the Laughing Kookaburra formed by both natives and European settlers that reflect the extravegant vocalizations of this bird.
Here is a list of numerous nicknames that European settler's used to refer to this bird:
Laughing Jackass, Jack, John, Johnny, Johnass or Johnniebottom; Kookaburra or Kooka; Jackass, Jack, Jacko, Jacky, John, or Johnny; Brown, Great Brown, Giant or Laughing Kingfisher; Bushman's, Settler's or Shepherd's Clock; Ha Ha or Woop Woop Pigeon; Ha Ha Duck; Alarm Bird or Breakfast Bird [1].
Here is a list of the numerous names that aboriginies of various tribes gave this bird:
Kowburra, Kangroburra, Kakaburra, Akkaburra, Kakaburri, Karkoburra, Karconbur, Kookooburry, Kokoparra, Googooburra, Cowurburra, Kowkargar, Gurgaga, Gingarga, Kamminmalli, Toones, Doowal, Kaggoo, Greggoom, Karkungoon, Koaka, Gragon, Kakorim, Gookergaka, Koori, Kooree, Kulkyne, Konga, Koorungal, Krong-krong,Kooartang, Tarakook, Kron, Koonet, Korung-korung, Kangoo, Wokook, Burndigan, Wook-wook, and Coarg [4].