Another little guy we were glad to see was the laughing kookaburra. The kookaburra is the largest member of the kingfisher family. If they catch little lizards or something live they will bang it against a tree or rock to kill it. As well if people feed them something like a piece of bread, they will bang it against a tree or rock to 'kill' it as well. This little guy was tame enough to pet. His loud call could be heard throughout the park.
Apparently the loud call of the kookaburra is to signal their territory to other birds in the area. From time to time we can here the kookaburras loud laughter from our home in Kingswood.Here is what Groliers Encyclopedia says about the kookaburra.
{kook'-uh-bur-uh} The kookaburra, or laughing jackass, Dacelo gigas, is a large and noisy bird of the Australian forests. Although a member of the kingfisher family, Alcedinidae, order Coraciiformes, the kookaburra does not eat fish but feeds mainly on large insects and small reptiles and amphibians. At a maximum of 47 cm (18.5 in) in length, and with a 10-cm (4-in) bill, the kookaburra is larger than most kingfishers, but its brown and tan plumage is drab by the standards of the family. Kookaburras nest during the spring and lay 2 to 4 white eggs in tree holes or termite nests. Their loud cries, which resemble human laughter and are typically chorused at dawn and dusk, are one of the characteristic sounds of the Australian forests.
Anyone who has seen our delightful little bird Sampson will understand why we spent a lot of time at this cage. These birds were full of personality and reminded us of our little bird 15000 kilometres away. These birds were very talkative, and quite willing to be petted through the cage. One cocky bird (I can see why they call them 'cocky' here) stuck his tongue out at us. The more we laughed the more he did it. They would stick their feet out of the wire cage and would grab your finger if you let them. This little guy grabbed my hat. For those of you unfamiliar with the cockatoo - here is a sulpher crest
As we left, the birds all said a fond "Goodbye" to us. Here is what Groliers had to say about the sulpher crested cockys: The sulfur-crested cockatoo, Cacatua galerita, found in Australia, New Guinea, and New Britain, is a boisterous trickster familiar to many as a cage bird. It can even be taught to talk, although this is rare. When flying over the dense rain forest in search of food, it communicates with others of its species in the trees so as not to get lost.
For more info on cockatoos here in Australia, click here.
Now, birds don't get much weirder than this. This bird is about the size of an Ostrich or an emu, but check out his head.
This bird is a real throw-back to the days of the dinosaurs. This bird is capable of killing a man. I wish I had a bigger picture so you can see this monster. He has this hard bony growth on his head to protect him as he runs through the forest. The bony growth breaks the branches of the trees in his path.
The emus were very interesting. Their feathers were pretty ratty looking, but hung well like an old ladies shawl over these big bohemeths. They have huge legs on them which allow them to run quick. Rhonda and I had them eating out of our hands at Koala Park. The day I accompanied the Grade 3 class to Koala Park the kids got quite a kick out of chasing the emu, much to my displeasure (and the emu I am sure). The tables turned when the emu spun around and started chasing them. They started screaming and running in all directions. I thought this was humourous, but was also concerned that the kids would again get a kick out of being chased by the emu, this time literally!
Here is what Groliers had to say about the emu: The flightless emu, Dromaius novaehollandiae, family Dromiceidae, order Casuariiformes, is widespread over Australia's open country. The largest bird except for the ostrich, the adult emu stands about 1.5 m (5 ft) high and weighs about 55 kg (120 lb). Emus run at speeds of up to 50 km/h (30 mph), defend themselves by kicking, and swim well. The hairlike plumage of both sexes is brownish gray. The slightly smaller male incubates a clutch of 8 to 10 dark green eggs for about 60 days, each egg weighing about 0.7 kg (1.5 lb). The emu has served as a source of food, and it appears on the Australian coat of arms. Farmers often consider it a pest, however, because it may break fences and feed on crops (while also eating many insects). Smaller species were exterminated by settlers on nearby islands, but Australian emus survived even a brief "emu war" in 1932--an attempt at their mass destruction by using machine guns.
What can I say about these guys? Very good looking. Solid black, with some orangey-red coloring under their wings and tailfeathers. I have heard that bonded pair of black cockatoos can sell for $25,000 on the black market.
Sort of owl like, this guy was pretty cute. I managed to step up close to this guy and get a nice shot of him.
This is Australia's only species of penguin (as far as I know). Where the fairy penguin comes in (known as the "march of the fairy penguin") on parts of the Southern Coast of Australia the birds all come back from the sea to their nests at the same time. At this point there will be hundreds of birds coming out of the water all at once. This is something I would not mind seeing. It's a little bit of a trip from Sydney though.
These penguins looked like they were having a great time. Terrific in-ground pool, with complete underground tunnel system, and lots of food to eat. Toss in a stereo system and I'd be willing to move in with them.
This is Australias only true stork. Its big long beak is used to spear fish. Rhonda and I were kind of grossed out by its disgusting legs though.
This great big guy was wandering around, but wasn't too happy when he ran into the black swan.
To return to some of the other things we saw at Featherdale main menu, click here.
