Here's how and why. Did you know Australia has the most hollow-dependent wildlife in the world? Tree hollows support a huge variety of our beloved native animals, like sugar gliders, kookaburras, microbats, ducks, owls, parrots, galahs, cockatoos and possums, for nesting, roosting and shelter.
Over half of these large kingfishers (or Kookaburras) use tree hollows as nesting sites and in some species, these resources are particularly important. The typical species you may attract to the Kookaburra Nesting Box include Laughing and Blue-winged Kookaburras.
Install the box as high as possible to prevent predation but low enough to be safely accessible for monitoring and maintenance. For this species the ideal height for the box is 5-10 metres.
Kookaburras breed from September to January. They create nests in any hole which is big enough to fit an adult, such as a tree hollow. The females lay between one and four round white eggs in the nest, which she incubates (keep warm) for approximately 24 days.
They mate for life and build their nests in a tree hollow or in a burrow excavated from a termite mound. Both parents incubate the eggs and care for the chicks. Kookaburras are aggressive predators that can deftly swoop down to the forest floor in order to catch their prey.
Kookaburras are highly social birds and live, forage, and raise young in communal family groups. Nighttime roosting is also a communal activity, with birds gathering together as night falls to head to a roosting spot in the high branches of a tree where they spend around 12 hours huddled together to conserve body heat.
Don advised against feeding meat-eating birds such as kookaburras, currawongs and butcherbirds. They include small birds in their diets, so if you do choose to feed them and their populations build up, you may find that there aren't many smaller birds around your place.
The Laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) is a large robust kingfisher. It is native to eastern mainland Australia but has also been introduced to parts of New Zealand, Tasmania, and Western Australia. These birds do not migrate and occupy the same territory throughout the year.
However, as time passed, people adjusted that some to say a kookaburra laughing outside a house meant someone in the house was pregnant. However, other versions of the myth say that a laughing kookaburra means someone you know is pregnant.
Ideally, nesting boxes should be raised 18-20 inches off the ground, but still lower than your roosting bars (otherwise, they'll start roosting on the nests).
Choosing the location
Unless there are trees or buildings which shade the box during the day, face the box between north and east, thus avoiding strong sunlight and the wettest winds. Make sure that the birds have a clear flight path to the nest without any clutter directly in front of the entrance.
Traditionally, nest boxes for small birds are put up in the spring - pairs begin to prospect in the latter half of February, so a box put up at the end of the winter stands a good chance of attracting nesting birds.
Here's how and why. Did you know Australia has the most hollow-dependent wildlife in the world? Tree hollows support a huge variety of our beloved native animals, like sugar gliders, kookaburras, microbats, ducks, owls, parrots, galahs, cockatoos and possums, for nesting, roosting and shelter.
Breeding season is from August to January. Usually two eggs are laid and incubation lasts for 24 days. Laughing Kookaburras will inhabit most areas where there are suitable trees.
Carnivorous birds, including the Kookaburras, butcherbirds and magpies tend to be bolder birds. They will not shy away from an exposed birdbath. These birds will hunt larger prey such as lizards and skinks in your garden as well as smaller insects.
The Australian aborigines have a legend about the Kookaburra. When the sun rose for the first time, the god Bayame ordered the kookaburra to utter its loud, almost human laughter in order to wake up mankind so that they should not miss the wonderful sunrise.
Fast Facts. The Laughing Kookaburra is not really laughing when it makes its familiar call. The cackle of the Laughing Kookaburra is actually a territorial call to warn other birds to stay away.
Kookaburras mate for life and live in close family groups, comprising two adults and the older siblings from previous breeding seasons, which remain for up to three years to help their parents incubate the eggs, and feed and protect the chicks and fledglings before moving on to nests of their own.
Blue-winged Kookaburra
There are differences in appearance between male and females with a blue tail in the male, and a rufous tail (reddish-brown or brownish-red) with blackish bars in the female.
Most people know about the Kookaburras catching snakes and keeping their numbers under control in the bush.
The best time to hear a kookaburra vocalize is shortly after dawn and just before dusk. They vocalize in groups. These birds are active throughout the day but may choose to spend time in their heated enclosed areas on cold or rainy days.
While it's common to leave mincemeat for the laughing bird, it doesn't provide the nutrients kookaburras need. In an article published on Australian Geographic, mincemeat is described as being similar to “a late-night cheeseburger.” Kookaburras are carnivores, so feed on mice, snakes and small reptiles.
"They mainly do it to establish territory," she says. "They live in small family groups. And the laugh can be heard at any time of the day, though it is most frequent at dawn and dusk.
Therefore fruit and vegetables that are high in simple sugars, such as apples, sweet potatoes and carrots should be avoided for macropods.