Wednesday 21 February 2007

Start up the Barbeque, the guests have arrived.


These little fellows are our Kookaburras ("The Fitzgibbons" of our garden). They are also known as Terrestrial Kingfishers and Laughing and Blue-Winged Jackasses.
Kookaburras are best known for their unmistakable call, which sounds like loud echoing human laughter and has been immortalized as the "OOH OOH AHH AHH AHH AHH AHH" cry that is part of the background audio in countless jungle movies, regardless of where the jungle in the movie is located. They will eat lizards, snakes, insects, mice and just love handouts from humans. They love Aussie Barbeques!

3 comments:

Monica said...

Oh I feel terrible now that I saw these birdies picture! I just realized that I've ordered "Kookaburra wings" many times at Outback, that australian style restaurant from the famous american chain. Oh my, I never realized they were actual birds, thought it was just a funny name

Gaëlle said...

They're so cute!

Kim said...

These are wonderful to see. Thanks for the background about the soundtrack call. American Girl Scouts sing a camp song in a round called "Kookaburra,"

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
Merry, merry king of the bush is he
Laugh Kookaburra, Laugh Kookaburra
Gay your life must be. . .

These three look ready for dinner!
-Kim