kookaburra

kook·a·bur·ra

noun \ˈku̇-kə-ˌbər-ə, -ˌbə-rə\

Definition of KOOKABURRA

: a brownish kingfisher (Dacelo novaeguineae syn. D. gigas) of Australia that is about the size of a crow and has a call resembling loud laughter —called also laughing jackass

Origin of KOOKABURRA

Wiradhuri (Australian aboriginal language of central New South Wales) gugubarra

First Known Use: 1834

Rhymes with KOOKABURRA

pocket borough, rotten borough

kookaburra

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Kookaburra (Dacelo gigas)—Bucky Reeves—The National Audubon Society Collection/Photo Researchers

Eastern Australian species (Dacelo gigas) of forest kingfisher (subfamily Daceloninae). Its call, which sounds like fiendish laughter, can be heard very early in the morning and just after sunset. A gray-brown, woodland-dwelling bird, it reaches a length of 17 in. (43 cm), with a 3.2–4-in. (8–10-cm) beak. In its native habitat it eats invertebrates and small vertebrates, including venomous snakes. In western Australia and New Zealand, where it has been introduced, it has been known to attack chickens and ducklings.

Variants of KOOKABURRA

kookaburra or laughing jackass