What Do Kookaburras Eat? How To Attract Kookaburras

What Do Kookaburras Eat?

One look at a kookaburra and you would guess that these creatures are equipped to take down just about any food they can find. Indeed, the large, powerful bills of kookaburras allow them to consume a wide variety of prey. So, what do kookaburras eat with their massive bills?

Kookaburras are impressive hunters, eating a wide array of different insects and small animals. They are ambush predators, sitting and waiting on a perch before swooping down and making a kill. Being kingfishers, a kookaburra diet is largely carnivorous by nature. However, they have been known to eat various plant matter if it’s offered.

Now that we have a general answer to the question, “What do kookaburras eat?” let’s get into specifics. 

Do Kookaburras Eat Snakes?

There is no shortage of snakes in Australia, but these slithery reptiles may seem like an intimidating meal. Do kookaburras eat snakes?

Yes, kookaburras do eat snakes! In fact, snakes are one of the favourite foods of kookaburras. If you aren’t a fan of snakes, then this news may make you rejoice, but you may be wondering how kookaburras manage to kill snakes considering all of the venomous snakes in Australia. How do kookaburras eat snakes?

Well, don’t let the goofy appearance and comical sounds of these birds fool you – they are skilled predators that can dispatch dozens of different prey items. When a kookaburra locates a snake, they swoop down and grab it behind its head. This neutralizes its mouth and ensures that the snake cannot bite and inject venom.

Once a kookaburra has a snake in its grasp, it may beat its head against the ground or drop the snake from many metres in the air so it dies on impact with the ground. Kookaburras may kill snakes that are as long as one metre.

Do Kookaburras Eat Other Birds?

Alright, so we know that snakes are often on the menu for kookaburras, but what about their fellow feathered friends – do kookaburras eat other birds?

Yes, kookaburras do—indeed—eat other birds. However, birds are not eaten as frequently as snakes. This may be because birds are simply more of a challenge to capture compared to snakes, but kookaburras will not pass up an easy bird meal when the opportunity arises.

Adult birds are rarely eaten because kookaburras are not built to chase them down. Baby birds, on the other hand, are a different story. Kookaburras readily raid the nests of other birds and gobble up their young.

This may seem cruel, but if you came across a plate of chicken nuggets, you would likely do the same.

Can Kookaburras Eat Chicken?

Alright, so we know that kookaburras eat other birds, so can kookaburras eat chicken if it is offered to them?

Kookaburras can and will eat chicken if it is left out for them. Chicken without any added ingredients or spices is a good source of protein for kookaburras. However, it should not be fed to these birds if it is fried, breaded, or seasoned in any sort of way. Although kookaburras would certainly find such chicken to be tasty, it could be dangerous for them to consume chicken that has been modified in such ways.

Do Kookaburras Eat Fish?

Do kookaburras eat fish? The answer to this question may seem obvious considering kookaburras are kingfishers. However, the truth is not so cut and dry.

Although kookaburras are members of the kingfisher family, it turns out that they do not consume fish very often. Yes, they will certainly devour a fish when given an opportunity, but they do not go out of their way to specifically target fish.

Moreover, kookaburras will not dive into the water like other kingfishers may do. Instead, they may sit on a branch that is just above the surface of the water and wait to lung at a fish that swims by.

Do Kookaburras Eat Fruit?

Recall that kookaburras are naturally carnivorous, but do kookaburras eat fruit? Kookaburras do not eat fruit in their native environments. However, some curious birds that frequent backyards may be observed eating fruits, but they would certainly prefer eating meat if it were available to them. Therefore, this raises the question – can you feed kookaburras fruit?

Birders should not intentionally offer fruit to kookaburras who visit their property, as eating too much fruit could be harmful to kookaburras and deprive them of much-needed nourishment. Those wondering how to attract kookaburras should stick to offering them occasional unprocessed meat.

Do Kookaburras Eat Banana

Okay, so now we know that kookaburras don’t typically eat fruit in the wild, but how about bananas – do kookaburras eat bananas?

As is the case with other fruits, kookaburras may consume bananas if these fruits are offered. It likely won’t hurt a kookaburra to have an infrequent banana snack. However, these fruits should not become a regular part of a kookaburra diet.

What Do Baby Kookaburras Eat?

You likely have a good feel for the foods that mature kookaburras consume, but what do kookaburras eat when they’re babies?

Well, baby kookaburras consume much of the same foods that adults eat. Kookaburra babies are born blind and helpless, so they are not able to handle food that is large or full of bones. Instead, parents often feed newborns small, soft-bodied creatures like earthworms.

As babies grow, they can start to handle the hard exoskeletons of insects like cicadas and grasshoppers. Parents may also start to bring them small snacks so they can practice killing these reptiles themselves.

How To Attract Kookaburras To Your Balcony

Many Australian birders are interested in the prospect of attracting kookaburras to their balcony or backyard, so how can kookaburras be attracted to such places?

Well, know that if you have proper habitat near you, then there is a good chance that a group of kookaburras will already live in your area. These birds are rather adaptable, surviving in an assortment of areas with moderate tree cover.

Now, some people feed kookaburras. This is a topic of controversy, and I will certainly touch on it more at the end of the article. For now, know that if you must feed kookaburras, be sure that you’re not providing them with meat that is seasoned or breaded. Moreover, do not feed kookaburras processed foods or excessive amounts of fruit. And what about bread – can kookaburras eat bread?

Kookaburras should absolutely not be given bread. Although bread is commonly offered to ducks and other birds, kookaburras should not be given this food. In fact, no birds should eat bread, as it is not a nutritious food for them. 

Kookaburras who grow accustomed to receiving food at a certain location will learn to frequent such places.

Are Kookaburras Dangerous?

Kookaburras are large birds that can look intimidating to some with their sizable beaks. However, are kookaburras dangerous or are kookaburras friendly to humans?

Kookaburras have no ill will towards humans, but you may have watched videos that seem to suggest that the opposite is true. So, what gives – do kookaburras attack humans on occasion?

These “attacks” that you may have heard about are not malicious. In all likelihood, the kookaburras involved in such interactions are birds that have been repeatedly fed by humans.

Remember, birds that grow accustomed to being fed in a consistent location will repeatedly visit such a place. These birds may eventually become emboldened and unbothered by human presence. This may prompt them to lash out at humans carrying food outside.

Should You Feed Kookaburras?

Now that you know more about kookaburras and what these birds typically eat, it’s time to address the question that everyone is wondering: Should you feed kookaburras?

Well, you will find a variety of different opinions about this topic in online searches. My humble opinion is that feeding kookaburras can be a safe, ethical habitat if done responsibly.

So, what can kookaburras eat in a backyard? Well,  birders should not feed seasoned or breaded meat to these creatures. Moreover, kookaburras should not be fed processed foods such as bread, rice, or large amounts of fruit.

Overall, birders should avoid making kookaburras dependent on their backyards for food. This means that no one should offer food to these birds every single day. Eating scraps of meat is not a problem, but birds who realize that they can consistently find food in a backyard may be setting themselves up for detrimental health complications.

Kookaburras may develop metabolic bone disease if they routinely eat food scraps in backyards. This condition occurs when birds lack the calcium necessary to thrive. When they eat little other than scraps of meat that have bones removed, they do not get the calcium that their bodies require.

Kookaburras swallow their prey whole, allowing their bodies to enjoy all of the nutrients within their prey. When they have extracted all of the nutrients that they need, they regurgitate bones, scales, and hair in pellets much like owls do.

Therefore, if you feed wild kookaburras, consider leaving some of the bones within the meat that you offer these birds.