Laughing Kookaburra: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Australia · day 6 of 7

Five facts

1. A kookaburra's syrinx, its voice box, has two sources of vibration, so it can produce two frequencies at the same time.
2. Up to five grown young from earlier years may stay with the breeding pair, helping defend the territory and raise new chicks.
3. Kookaburras prefer small prey, but they sometimes catch venomous snakes much longer than their own bodies.
4. Parents teach their young the famous laugh. After about two weeks of lessons, the young join the dawn and dusk chorus.
5. Once they leave the nest, young kookaburras keep getting fed for six to ten weeks.

The quiz

1. How many frequencies can a kookaburra's syrinx produce at once?

• One
• Two (correct)
• Five
• Ten

Its syrinx creates two vibration sources, so two frequencies at once.

2. How many grown offspring can stay with the breeding pair?

• Up to fifty
• Only one
• Never any
• Up to five (correct)

Up to five grown offspring can stay and help the pair.

3. What large prey do kookaburras sometimes catch?

• Snakes longer than their own bodies (correct)
• Adult kangaroos
• Wild pigs
• Sharks

They sometimes catch venomous snakes much longer than their bodies.

4. How long do the laughing lessons last?

• About two days
• About two years
• About two weeks (correct)
• About one hour

Lessons last about two weeks.

5. For how long are fledged kookaburras still fed?

• One day
• Six to ten weeks (correct)
• Six to ten years
• Never

They keep getting food for six to ten weeks.

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