Kookaburra King! (aka SO FLUFFY)
When I was a kid I used to sing that song "Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree, merry, merry king of the bush is he..."
One thing I didn't know at the time was how LOUD these things are. The first time I heard one here I looked to Sammo and said: "WHAT THE FRESH HELL WAS THAT?!"
"... A Kookaburra?"
"IT SOUNDS LIKE A VELOCIRAPTOR WITH HIS BALLS IN A BEAR TRAP."
"... yes."
They may sound like the prehistoric apocalypse, but they are as cute as cute gets. So when one landed in front of me at the hotel and let me get close enough to almost pet him, I thought I was going to vomit a rainbow right on the spot.
And I really, really, really thought about petting him, because he seemed like he would let me. But... the meat tearing beak put just the right amount of fear in me to overcome that overwhelming urge.
... I kind of regret it.
But I got lots of pictures!
SQUEEEEEE!
They eat.... meat? What other birds eat meat? Sounds dicey 😬
Oh man, if you think that is dicey, you should look up the "Butcher Bird". They literally impale their noms onto sharp things (like thorn bushes), hang them there, and eat them.
Freakin' Australia.
Trust me, the meat eaters are actually relatively tame. The fruit and nut eaters are the scary ones. Please google Corella and fear their beaks, and Casowarry if you havent already seen the "Cassowary, son of a f*ck" meme.
Have you experienced the terror of swooping season yet?
GAH!!! Your post made me a little homesick. I have been living in Cambodia for 6 years after leaving Australia. You have WAY bigger balls than me! I don't think I could get that close. I too remember as a little girl singing that song! Awe, the memories!!!