Owner Comments:
When I purchased the coin as a birthday gift to myself this past August, I initially thought that I would be able to determine which species of Kookaburra was depicted on the coin. However, I quickly learned that the different Kookaburra species, of which there are five, mainly differ in appearance in coloration while sharing a broadly similar body shape. Therefore, as this coin is not colorized, I am going to have to use it to discuss the Kookaburra family as a whole.
Kookaburras are distinct members of the larger Kingfisher family which inhabit Australia, New Guinea and the Aru Islands. Unlike most other kingfishers, Kookaburras are terrestrial birds. Kookaburras range in size from 11 inches long and 5 ounces in weight for the smallest species, the Rufous-bellied kookaburra (Dacelo gaudichaud) to 18.1 inches in length and 11.8 ounces for the largest species, the Laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae). Kookaburras are also sexually dimorphic, with males and females exhibiting color differences in their plumage. These color differences vary by species but the most striking are found in the Rufous-bellied kookaburra and the Blue-winged kookaburra, where the males have bright blue tails while the females have tails that are a dull reddish brown.
Kookaburras are carnivorous, preying upon rodents, snakes, insects, the young of other bird species and other small and young reptiles. When kept in zoos, Kookaburras are fed similar foods as raptors. Kookaburras are ambush predators, waiting patiently on a perch for prey to pass by. When prey does pass by, the Kookaburra then attacks, using its beak to capture and kill the prey animal. Kookaburras will also steal meat from barbecues and well-socialized kookaburras will accept handouts from humans. As far as predators, kookaburras are mainly preyed upon by smaller Australian raptors such as the Red Goshawk and the Rufous Owl. Snakes and monitor lizards also pose a threat to kookaburra eggs.
Like raptors, kookaburras mate for life. They breed in the Southern Hemisphere summer and they are cooperative breeders, meaning that young from earlier breeding seasons will stay with their parents for a couple of years and help them care for their younger siblings. Typically, three eggs are produced, and in years with plentiful food all three chicks will survive. In years where food is scarce, siblicidal behavior is common and only one or two chicks will survive depending on how scarce food is. One of the main reasons all of the chicks survive in seasons where food is plentiful is that in those years, one parent can always stay with the chicks and diffuse their fighting. Once kookaburra chicks mature, they stay with their family group for a couple of years to help raise their younger siblings before going off on their own to start their own families.
Kookaburras are a beloved and famous part of Australia’s distinctive native fauna. Their calls sound like human laughter and are famous for that reason. The Laughing kookaburra is particularly famous in that regard and its call is often used in films set in Australia or in a jungle in general to set a mood, even though kookaburra are not jungle animals. When I can find coins with identifiable kookaburra species on them, I will add them to the set in addition to this overview.