Laughing kookaburra
Dacelo novaeguineae
Usually perched in tall trees at bush edges, and loudest at dawn and dusk.
Story
Grey released kookaburras on Kawau in 1866. Releases in Wellington, Nelson and Otago all failed, so New Zealand's wild kookaburras come from this island's birds.
Behaviour
Lives in family groups that roost together in a tall tree and defend a territory. A perch-and-pounce hunter, it waits motionless, drops onto a lizard, mouse or insect, then beats it against a branch and swallows it whole.
There’s more about this bird on Kawau in the island’s history.