Abstract
N ot only bird enthusiasts are familiar with the Kookaburra, Dacelo novaeguinae, affectionately called the Laughing jackass by many Australians. The calls of the Kookaburra can often be heard as jungle background sounds in many old and new movies and television programs. Most of us can also recall learning the clever children's song about the Laughing Kookaburra. In Australia it is an unforgettable sight to watch and hear the neighborhood Kookaburras assemble in the areas tallest tree and together begin to sound off. The Kookaburras' "laugh" reveals its zest for living. Observing the Kookaburra, one gets the feeling that while we are amused by their audacious call, they also look down and laugh at the bumbling humans below.
While caring for this ve1y large member of the kingfisher family, I found that very little information was available about its care and breeding. I therefore attempted to mimic the Kookaburra breeding environment I
observed while living in Australia. The pair I was working with was between seven and nine years old. They were very calm and sedate birds, but became excited at feeding times in the early morning and late afternoon when they would suddenly stand at attention and begin their incredible vocalizations.
The accommodations for this pair included an indoor cage measuring 3 feet square though the pair rarely entered this heated indoor space, not even when the outdoor temperatures were well below freezing. The outdoor aviary was 6 feet square and 9 feet in height. The birds had access to a mulch and pine chip covered floor. The once a day feeding consisted of two adult mice per bird. A large rubber water bowl is available for them to drink and bath in which they did frequently.
From observing four separate active nesting sites in Australia, I found that the birds appeared to prefer shallow, nearly horizontal cavities. These cavities allowed the incubating bird to look directly out of the nesting chamber (or clearly at the nest entrance), not being so deep that the incubating parents bill or tail was not visible. Nest entrances had varied from six feet to 12 feet from the ground. I therefore offered the pair a shallow, natural hollow with a mulch and pine sawdust mix bringing the floor of the nest to just three inches below the nest entrance. The nest log entrance was less than five feet from the ground. When disturbed, the incubating or brooding birds were able to "rocket" from the nest, just as in the nests studied in the field. A shallow nest also allows the parents to quickly feed the chicks, saving them the time and energy of climbing down into a deep cavity. No aggression was encountered between the parent birds and myself when inspecting the nests in the field or in captivity.
To stimulate the adult pair and bring them into breeding condition, I began feeding them live food randomly throughout the day. These feedings began in February and consisted of young mice (hoppers and pinkies), mealworms, crickets, and waxworms. The birds were also observed eating the slugs from beneath the water dish
when it was removed for cleaning. When fed live food the pair would kill the food item and then begin their laughing call while they held the food in their bills. The food did not seem to interfere with the volume or rhythm of their vocalizations.
Within the first month of being fed live food, the male began to pursue the female, presenting her and feeding her with the food held in his beak. At six weeks there were signs that the pair had entered the nest log; shavings were seen on the ground below the
nest. On March 26, two eggs were seen in the nest (almost two months from being offered the nesting site). Because the birds were said to have eaten their young the first time they had bred, the eggs were pulled on April 1 (after the 3rd egg had been laid) for artificial incubation and hand rearing. The pair double clutched, laying the first egg of the second clutch within two weeks.