Kookaburra- Baby or Unusual Colour?

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akasha
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Kookaburra- Baby or Unusual Colour?

I saw this Laughing Kookaburra at Birdland in Batemans Bay in January. It's only a baby but are all baby Kookaburras this colour or is this one unusual?

myky50

hi akasha :)
according to my book it's unusual
Laughing IMM. - shorter dark bill, fine brown scallops
Blue-winged IMM. - psler streaks on head, darker mottling

:)

bushbirdnerd
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Great shot- very unusual. Juveniles aren't usually that colour, would blue-winged kookaburras be seen around Bateman's Bay? My guess would be the opposite syndrome to albinism. You have to marvel at the show that is nature don't you!

Oxalis is not my friend

sparrow
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It's not unusual for young birds to be a little darker than there parents they usually lose the colour in there first molt.but a black kookaburra thats a first for me and i tend to agree with bushbirdnerd

birdie
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Hey guys... it is indeed a black kookaburra I think. Check out this older post and there is a lot of info there
http://birdsinbackyards.net/forum/messages.cfm?threadid=49F2914B-9FFB-A95D-F56C4AC9C04C05FE

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Amateur

Mhmm, amazingly there's been quite a few reported on the forum! I wish I had a black kooka in my area :)

Windhover
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I think melanistic is the right term here? Wow! Cool find. :-)

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