Which bird is famous for its 'laughing' call?

The laughing kookaburra is famous for its distinctive laughing call.

Native to eastern Australia, the laughing kookaburra is actually a large terrestrial kingfisher, Dacelo novaeguineae. Its cream-and-brown plumage, heavy bill, and habit of perching before swooping down on prey make it unmistakable, but its loud, human-like chuckle is its best-known feature.

The call is primarily territorial rather than an expression of amusement. Family groups use coordinated choruses to announce ownership of woodland territories, recognize neighbours, and reinforce social bonds. The sound is often heard most strongly around dawn and dusk, when several birds may join in a rolling sequence of chuckles and laughs.

Young kookaburras learn the signature call from adults after leaving the nest. A breeding pair may be helped by older offspring, which remain with the family and assist in defending the territory and raising younger chicks. The call has also become a familiar film sound effect: recordings have been used in jungle scenes even when the setting is nowhere near Australia. Marion Sinclair’s children’s song “Kookaburra” helped make the bird even more recognizable internationally.