Kookaburra

kookaburra sits on the old gum tree
merry merry king of the bush is he
laugh, kookaburra laugh, kookaburra
gay your life must be!

The birds are the largest members of the kingfisher family and can live up to 20 years. They laugh to advertise the boundaries of their territory, then wait to hear the replies of neighbouring groups. The sounds made by this bird range from a few chuckles to a pronounced "kooaaah", but the main song is a rollicking laugh, usually sung in chorus.