photo credit: ginger barber
We have a photographer in our family, and it never failed through the years at all of our family gatherings, even if we tried to hide, that aunt Ginger would hunt you down and start clicking and snapping. Ignoring all the groaning and complaining, she would make you stand by your siblings, hug your honey, stick a flower in your hair; twist your head in all kinds of directions, stretch your neck like an ostrich, smile when you wanted to scream and made you stand in the same place for what seemed like forever, until the picture came out perfect. We dreaded the picture taking time back then, but now as we turn the pages in the family photo albums, we have wonderful memories to cherish. We’re so thankful to have had aunt ginger and her camera.
Last year during a trip to Australia, a kooky little kookaburra bird met my aunt Ginger and thank God he stood still and let her take his picture.
KOOKY AUSTALIAN KOOKABURRA
Gains its name from its long, rollicking laugh, koo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo- haa-haa-haa-haa, usually sung in chorus.
What Is It?
A member of the Kingfisher family, native to Austraila, the Kookaburra is a large noisy bird found fluttering in the Australian bushes. Kookaburras are best known for their unmistakable call, that sounds like loud, human laughter. It makes six different calls including chuckles and longer calls. The Kookaburra is very famous in Australia. Its laugh may sound joyous but it is actually used to warn other birds away from its territory.
Photo From: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An albino kookaburra
Their loud cries, which resemble human laughter are typically chorused at dawn and dusk.
Hear The Kookaburra Laugh At: http://aviary.owls.com/kookaburra/kookaburra.html
What Does It Look Like?
The Kookaburra has a white head with dark brown lines over crown and through eyes. The wings and shoulders are brown with light blue tips. Length: 46 cm.
What Do They Eat?
The kookaburra will eat whatever suitable food it can find, including snakes, lizards, rodents and insects. Kookaburras get all the moisture they need from their food; therefore drinking is unnecessary.
Photo From: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kookaburra with barbecue meat scraps
What About Breeding/Nesting?
The breeding period of the Kookaburra is from September to January. Two - four eggs are laid in the hollow of a tree. The eggs are laid a day apart, and the incubation time is anywhere from 24 to 26 days. Kookaburra's nest during the spring season and lays 2 to 4 white eggs in tree holes or termite nests.
What Is Their Habitat?
Their habitat tends to be forests, woodlands and many suburban areas. Mostly found perching on electrical lines or on dead branches in open, lightly timbered areas.
Kookaburra Facts:
- These birds mate and stay together for life.
- Although the kookaburra is found in only two places in the world, the distinctive sound that it makes has found its way onto many "jungle sound" soundtracks, used in TV and movies -- no matter what part of the world the action takes place in.
- Kookaburras breed well in captivity, and when pulled from the nest and hand fed as chicks they can make quite affectionate pets.
- Kookaburras can live 20 years or more.
KOOKABURRA SONG
Written by Marion Sinclair1932
Marion Sinclair wrote the song in 1932 for a contest being held by the Victorian Guides. The competition was for an 'Australian round' song. Her song, the Kookaburra Song won and was introduced by Marion at the World Jamboree in Frankstone, Victoria in 1934. It was instantly a hit with the girls and has become a much loved song all over the world.
Kookaburra sits on the old gum tree,
Merry merry king of the bush is he.
Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh,
Kookaburra,Gay your life must be!
Kookaburra sits on the old gum tree,
Eating all the gum drops he can see.
Stop Kookaburra, stop Kookaburra
Save some there for me!
Kookaburra sits on the old gum tree,
Counting all the monkeys he can see.
Laugh Kookaburra, laugh Kookaburra
That's not a monkey, that's me!
