Meet Laughing Kookaburra. Are They Laughing or Screaming?

Australia is full of unique animals, but the laughing kookaburra must be one of the most well known. The bird prefers dry forests with streams but is also commonly found in backyards, parks, and gardens. Its population is stable in the wild and seems to thrive in the presence of humans: the birds are known to be bold and steal food from picnics, sometimes snatching hot meat straight from the barbecue. Meet Lovely Laughing Kookaburra. Let's get to know them a little more.

When hunting, a laughing kookaburra sits motionless on a perch and watches for prey to pass by. The bird can keep its head perfectly still while its body sways with the branch below. When prey is sighted, the kookaburra swoops down, lands next to it, and grabs it with its bill. It carries the food back to a perch and beats it several times against the branch to kill and soften the prey. The food is swallowed head first and whole. Laughing kookaburras at the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park are offered mealworms, king worms, crickets, meat, minnows, and small mice.