Black Kookaburra

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2007-2008 Backyard Visitors

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Date: 07/23/06 Views: 46

Black Kookaburra

We have a gang of Kookaburras (or should that be a 'stand up of Kookaburras') that inhabit the reserve next to our house. This afternoon an extended and quite enthusiastic bout of cackling raised my curiosity and I went to investigate. I was surprised to see ten to fourteen kookaburras in close proximity as usually there is only about five to be seen at any one time. A closer look showed they were gathered around two Kookaburras who were locked at the beak over a sizeable morsel of food (possibly a mouse? - actually make that a lizard!).

One of the Kookaburras was black (Anyone seen a Black Kookaburra before?) and at first I thought it was a baby being fed by it's mother... but this was no motherly feeding lesson.

The two duelling birds were making a mighty racket and seemed to be trying their hardest to make the other open their beak by contagious laugher. The battle must have went on for 45 minutes and at times included additional birds (none of whom seemed to be able to get a good enough grip on the morsel at stake)...

In the end the Black Kookaburra jumped off the branch and hung its full weight on the food bundle for a while before the white Kookaburra could hang on no longer.

The black Kookaburra then flew off to a neighbouring tree to tell the world all about his major victory.

An intriguing sight.

Update
I posted a query about this bird on a couple of internet forums and there have been some interesting responses:
http://birdsinbackyards.net/forum/messages.cfm?threadid=49F2914B-9FFB-A95D-F56C4AC9C04C05FE

http://www2b.abc.net.au/science/scribblygum/newposts/348/topic348905.shtm
Update 2
There is also some interesting chatter about this bird on the envirotalk forum.
http://www.envirotalk.com.au/forum/index.php?showtopic=7818

(As also reported by Wombat Bob in the comments below) the Black Kookaburra apparently has a generic mutation called hyper-melanism which is (kinda) the opposite of albinism.

Location
These photo's were taken in Port Macquarie on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales.

Date: 01/02/08

Owner: Tod Lavis

Size: 10 items (28 items total)

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Black Kookaburra Additional Sightings

The Black Kookaburra has returned :)

Date: 01/07/08

Owner: Tod Lavis

Size: 18 items

Kookaburra's locked at the beak over a morsel of food

A classic case of he who laughs last laughs longest :)

Date: 01/02/08

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Even though they are locked at the Beak they are making a lot of noise

It seemed that each of the birds was trying to make the other laugh and hence lose it's grip on the food.

Date: 01/02/08

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Sharing is Caring

Date: 01/02/08

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You laugh - no you laugh

Date: 01/02/08

A rare black Kookaburra wrestles with a laughing Kookaburra over food.

Date: 01/02/08

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The tussle continues with many spectators

The fight over food continues and a large crowd gathers to watch

Date: 01/02/08

The victor and the vanquished

The Black Kookaburra eventually gambled on an all or nothing strategy and came away with the prize.

Date: 01/02/08

Black Kookaburra with treat

What is that he is about to eat?

Date: 01/02/08

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thanks wombat bob

Wombat Bob,
Thanks for the info very interesting.
These photo's were taken in Port Macquarie on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales.

Posted by Tod Lavis on Mon Jan 7 14:16:12 2008

Black Kookaburra

Apparently it is not unknown and is what is known as melanistic (an overburden of melanin - opposite of Albino). I am curious to know where the pictures were taken.

Posted by wombat.bob@bordernet.com.au (guest) on Fri Jan 4 12:42:58 2008

2007-2008 Backyard Visitors

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Black Kookaburra

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thanks wombat bob

Black Kookaburra