A Kookaburra In The City?

Two Wednesday mornings ago, as I trudged up Pier St, I heard a surprising sound: the unmistakeable laughing cry of the kookaburra. It was as if someone had started playing jungle sounds from an old Tarzan movie at full blast in the middle of Perth.

This morning, crossing Murray, I heard it again. It seemed to emanate from behind Miss Maud's, in that area that's also behind the Deanery and the Playhouse Theatre. There're some trees in there, but not big and old enough for a rather largish kigfisher to nest in, I would have thought. No expert I on urban kookaburras, though. Kamikaze wattlebirds, sure. But kookaburras outside of King's Park? Not a clue.

I hope to hear it again in the following days. Twice is merely coincidence, but thrice...

Kookaburras in the heart of Perth, hawks circling the R&I Tower,... what a great city for birds.