Shovel-billed Kookaburra (Clytoceyx rex)
About the Shovel-billed Kookaburra
The shovel-billed kookaburra (Dacelo rex), also known as the shovel-billed kingfisher, is a large, approximately 33 cm (13 in) long, dark brown tree kingfisher with a heavy, short, and broad bill that is unique among the kingfishers. It has a dark head with a rufous (reddish/brown or rust coloured) stripe behind the eyes, a white throat, a rufous neck collar and underparts, a bright blue rump, brown iris, brownish-black bill with paler mandible (entire bill often appears brownish due to earth), and pale feet. Both sexes are similar in appearance, but are easily recognized from the colour of the tail. The male has a dark bluish tail while female's is rufous. The juvenile has a female-like plumage with scale-patterned feathers.
No audio on this page yet
We only publish recordings we may use commercially, because this site is supported by ads. xeno-canto lists 15 recordings for this species: 5 CC BY-NC-SA. None of them permits commercial use, so there is no player here — the page is kept as a profile so the bird is not missing from the guide.
As soon as someone uploads a freely licensed recording, we mirror it and the player appears here.
Listed as recorded in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea in the xeno-canto catalogue.
Other birds you can hear here
- Australasian FigbirdSphecotheres vieillotirecording
- Blue-winged KookaburraDacelo leachiirecording
- Channel-billed CuckooScythrops novaehollandiaerecording
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisrecording
- Fan-tailed CuckooCacomantis flabelliformisrecording
- Grey ShrikethrushColluricincla harmonicarecording
These are the birds recorded alongside it, not close relatives — the site holds no other member of its genus or family yet.