Blue-winged Kookaburra

Dacelo leachii

Family: Alcedinidae (Alcedinid Kingfishers, 10 species in Australia)
Size: 40-45 cm
Distribution: Within about 600 km of the coast of QLD, NT and most of Northern WA
Status: Common
Habitat: Open forests, woodlands, paperbark swamps
References: Simpson and Day, Reader's Digest

Very similar to the Laughing Kookaburra in appearance, but with blue wings, a pink bill and a darker blue tail.

It does not live in Sydney or the Blue Mountains but I took a nice photo of one at Australia Zoo so I have included it in this collection of Australian birds.

Blue-winged Kookaburra - Dacelo leachii
Photo: Australia Zoo, QLD

Blue-winged Kookaburra - Dacelo leachii
Artwork: John Gould, 'The Birds of Australia', 1848. Original Scanned Image.

Some Birdwatching Resources

Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds, Peter Slater, Pat Slater and Raoul Slater. This is a smaller field guide, and its advantage is it is easy to carry around. Its size is 21.3 x 11.4 x 2.8 centimetres, or 8.4 x 4.5 x 1.1 inches in the old scale. So it is a good one to get if you want to have your field guide with you out in the field. Unlike most of the field guides it also has illustrations of the eggs of all the birds that breed in Australia. It has very good reviews on Amazon.

Click here to Purchase from Australia (Booktopia)

Purchase from Australia (Angus & Robertson)

Click here to purchase from Australia (The Nile) $28.45 AUD (May be unavailable)

Click here to purchase from Australia (Fishpond) May be expensive.

Click here to purchase from Amazon

Sydney Birds and Where to Find Them, Peter Roberts. The 30 top bird-watching localities in and around Sydney. These birding hot spots stretch from Tuggerah Lakes on the Central Coast to Lake Illawarra near Wollongong and from the Blue Mountains in the west to some surprisingly accessible sites tucked away in the heart of the city. Each locality entry lists the key species to look out for including rare and seasonal visitors. It describes how to access the location, and what amenities to expect; maps are featured. There is also a handy list of Sydney birds, each entry providing information on the best spots to find it.

Purchase from Australia (Booktopia)

Click here to purchase from Australia (The Nile)

Click here to purchase from Australia (Fishpond)

Share This Page

australia birds

Content is copyright © Survive.au 2005-2025 All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use. Definitely read the disclaimer before trying anything from this website, especially including the practices and skills. This website uses affiliate links – this doesn't cost you any more, but I get a commission on purchases made through the website. As an Amazon Associate I earn similarly from qualifying purchases.