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Kookaburras (genus Dacelo) (or Cookaburras) are large to very large (total length 28-42 cm/11-17 in) terrestrial kingfishers native to Australia and New Guinea, the name a loanword from Wiradjuri guuguubarra, which is onomatopoeic of its call. The single member of the genus Clytoceyx, while commonly referred to as the Shovel-billed Kookaburra, is not treated in this article.
 Kookaburras are best known for their unmistakable call, which is uncannily like loud, echoing human laughter — good-natured, if rather hysterical, merriment in the case of the well-known Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae); and maniacal cackling in the case of the slightly smaller Blue-winged Kookaburra. They are generally not closely associated with water, and can be found in habitats ranging from humid forest to arid savanna, but also in suburban and residential areas near running water and where food can be searched for easily.
Kookaburra Classification and Species
There are four known species of kookaburras found in Australia, New Guinea,and the Aru Islands.
Species
- A male Blue-winged Kookaburra. All kookaburras are sexually dimorphic, but this is only obvious in the Blue-winged and the Rufous-bellied, where males have blue tails, females rufous.Rufous-bellied Kookaburra (Dacelo gaudichaud).
- Spangled Kookaburra (Dacelo tyro).
- Blue-winged Kookaburra (Dacelo leachii).
- Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae).
Unusual for close relatives, the Laughing and Blue-winged species are direct competitors in the area where their ranges overlap. This suggests that the two species, though having common stock, evolved in isolation (possibly during a period when Australia and New Guinea were more distant — see Australia-New Guinea) and were only brought back into contact in relatively recent geological times.
The Kookaburra Reference: Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kookaburra
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