Australia - Blue-winged Kookaburra

Blue-winged Kookaburra (Dacelo leachii).

Sent by Haining, a postcrosser from Australia.

This is from Wikipedia : The Blue-winged Kookaburra, Dacelo leachii, is a large species of kingfisher native to northern Australia and southern New Guinea.

Measuring around 40 cm (16 in), it is slightly smaller than the more familiar Laughing Kookaburra. It has cream-coloured upper- and underparts barred with brownish markings. It has blue wings and brown shoulders and blue rump. It is sexually dimorphic, with a blue tail in the male, and a rufous tail with blackish bars in the female.

The adult Blue-winged Kookaburra measures around 38 to 42 cm (15-17 in) in length and weighs 260 to 330 g. Compared to the related Laughing Kookaburra, it is smaller, lacks a dark mask, has more blue in the wing, and striking white eye. It has a heavier bill than its larger relative. The head and underparts are cream-coloured with brownish streaks. It is sexually dimorphic, with a blue tail in the male, and a rufous tail with blackish bars in the female. Immature birds have more prominent brown bars and marks in their plumage, giving a 'dirty' appearance, and their eyes are predominantly brown for the first two years of life.

The call has been described as a maniacal cackling or barking.