Which Australian bird is the world’s largest living kingfisher?

The laughing kookaburra is the world’s largest living kingfisher.

Native to eastern and southeastern Australia, the laughing kookaburra is a stocky bird that can reach about 45 centimetres in length. Its large bill is adapted for seizing prey, including insects, reptiles, frogs, small birds, and small mammals. It often waits on a branch before swooping down.

The species is best known for its loud, laughing call, which is actually a territorial and social vocalization rather than laughter. Family groups may call together, especially around dawn and dusk. The call became a familiar sound in films and recordings, sometimes leading people to mistake it for a human laugh.

Although strongly associated with Australia, laughing kookaburras have also been introduced to parts of New Zealand and other locations. They are kingfishers even though they often hunt on land rather than catching fish. Their closest Australian relative is the blue-winged kookaburra.