Kookaburra (Wings of the World by Safari Ltd.)

Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972

One of Australia’s most famous and recognizable birds is the laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae). A member of the kingfisher family, its native range covers all of the eastern side of Australia, but it has also been introduced to the lower western tip of the continent and to the island of Tasmania. Its claim to fame comes from its loud, distinctive, and rather comical call.

The kookaburra is the biggest of all kingfishers, measuring up to 47 cm long and weighing up to 465 g. Accordingly, Safari Ltd.’s 2017 kookaburra is a good-sized toy at 8 cm in length and just over 3.5 cm in height. It is sculpted resting on its belly with its wings and tail feathers folded up and its head turned to look to the left.

The main colours here are white and dark brown. The wings feature grey spots and the dorsal side of the tail is light brown with dark brown stripes, while the underside is very light brown with the same dark stripes. The feet are a very pale yellow with dark brown claws. The lower bill is white and the upper one is dark grey. The white head is streaked with dark brown and the eyes are glossy black. Real kookaburras have brown eyes and bone-coloured lower bills, but this toy is still perfectly recognisable as one.

If I am to be brutally honest here, the sculpting detail here is not as intricate or as impressive as that on other birds in the Wings of the World Series. The large primary feathers look good enough, but the smaller coverts are denoted only by faint markings. The softer feathers on the head and torso are more discernible, but still not like on say, the cockatoo or the eagle owl. Moreover, the white colouration makes it even more difficult to make out these details.

But on a more positive note, this kookaburra does look very good and realistic regardless, especially the large, blade-like bill. While kingfishers are usually thought of as living on fish, the laughing kookaburra preys mainly on small land animals. These include worms and insects, mice, lizards, other birds, and snakes, including venomous ones that may exceed the kookaburra in length. Fish do also form part of its diet. In addition, kookaburras living in or around cities will swoop down and steal food right out of unsuspecting people’s hands.

The Safari laughing kookaburra is not among their top birds, but it’s a solid one, and it’s not like there are a ton of kookaburra toys to choose from. I’m quite happy with it. Another big thank you goes out to Happy Hen Toys for this review sample!

Here it is with two other Australian birds by Safari Ltd., the sulfur-crested cockatoo and rainbow lorikeet: