A Laughing Kookaburra assists in raising Blue-winged Kookaburras’ offspring

Abstract

A Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae, previously reported to have repeatedly inspected a potential nest hollow and mated with an adult male Blue-winged Kookaburra D. leachii on Magnetic Island, north Queensland, in August 2025, was photographed feeding a brood of two juvenile Blue-winged Kookaburras at the same location in late December 2025. This is the first record of a Laughing Kookaburra assisting Blue-winged Kookaburras to raise their offspring, as a cooperative helper.