Kookaburra – A Spirit Bird
Ten months since Darryl’s death it is still a struggle. The left and right parts of my brain appear to be at war with one another. The left fills me with doubts and uncertainties while the right wants me to rebuild and fearlessly seek out treasure. A new meditative tool has appeared as a result of my shiatsu therapist. I have found the work of Ted Andrews. Animal Speak and Animal Wise are two books that are near my bedside table and I have decided to learn more about my animal totems. Raven and dog have been with me for a long time but today a new guide emerged.
General Description:
The kookaburra is a large, Australian species of kingfisher. It is a carnivorous bird and has developed some fame as being a snake and lizard killer. Kookaburras are famous for their cackling call which sounds unmistakably like raucous laughter. Kookaburras are intelligent and quite social, and can become quite tame at picnic spots, accepting handouts from people. Kookaburras mate for life, and both care for the young. Offspring are known to remain and help care for new families. A kookaburra’s beak can reach 10cm in length. They are predated upon by foxes, cats and raptors.
Lessons and Challenges:
The presence of kookaburra in a reading (or in your observations) indicates that it is a time of signals and omens. Kookaburra is a strong, bold energy which tends to resonate with god energies. Pay attention to opportunities around you, and listen to nature and to the world around you, you may find that you are being given some important messages at this time.
The kookaburra encourages us to use laughter as a form of healing. Laughter can be a positive force for the body, even when we force it and we don’t really ‘feel’ it. Laughter between people is a way that reinforces bonding and helps us to enjoy life even when things are very tough. Look at how much you laugh every day, chances are if kookaburra has flown into your life you could stand to laugh a little more. It is time to turn your hurt into happiness, and the power of laughter is a great road to doing just that.
Kookaburra draws our attention to family, and our family relationships. Often kookaburra energy suggests that family connections are important in our lives at this time, either because of rivalry (particularly amongst siblings) or because we are looking at our role within the family unit. Ask yourself what your responsibilities are to your family, and what their responsibilities are to you. If you feel you are not being honoured or respected enough by your blood relations, ask yourself if you have given them the honour and respect you feel you deserve.
Kookaburra has a very powerful healing energy, and its presence in a reading or in your life can indicate a time when profound healing is occurring. This healing is not just happening to you, but to people around you, and creates a more healthful ripple effect that creates positive changes to come. Kookaburra can indicate that the querent has reached the end of a difficult journey, and new healthful growth has already begun.
The best way to end old patterns that no longer help us, is by confronting why we developed them in the first place. Often we develop bad habits or negative thought patterns because of fear and insecurities. Kookaburra is the energy of conquering fears and in turn, ending old patterns that aren’t nourishing. If there is a particular habit that you’re not happy with, working with kookaburra energy can help to dissolve it.
Everyone has personal truths, these might be thoughts, or ethics that particularly resonate with who you are as a person. A personal truth for example, might involve recognising that you are an artist or a healer at heart, or could indicate that you will stand up for your beliefs, gender, race or sexuality. Kookaburra helps you to hunt down your truths, and these truths enable you to recognize your own inner strength. In turn, you are able to teach your truths to others, and also aid others in finding and recognizing their own truths. You may find yourself teaching others in an informal setting, by sharing your passions and your beliefs with others.
From a light-hearted position, kookaburra encourages us to better woo our partners and our friends. It is time to shower them with presents even if it is not their birthday! If you have no money, you can hand-make cards or presents, cook them sweets or food, or even just gift them with your presence and attention. Let the people around you know that they are loved.
The Shadow Aspects:
Kookaburra’s shadow energy is very confrontational, and can teach harsh and abrasive lessons. Kookaburra teaches us the value of family. We cannot take our children, or our parents for granted, even if they do not seem to ‘nourish’ us on the surface. Family should be respected no matter what, no matter what arguments take place, no matter how you have been deceived, no matter how you have deceived others. Kookaburra forces you to confront issues relating to ‘family,’ either by constantly bringing family drama to the surface, or by highlighting how lonely you feel without a strong sense of what it is to have a family.
Communion:
Like all animal helpers, this animal will only appear when right and appropriate, and cannot be forced to visit you, commune with you, or share messages with you. Kookaburra energy – particularly in Australia – is quite forthcoming and bold, and while it may be an easy energy to ‘contact,’ kookaburra is not always an easy guide to communicate with! In my own spiritual encounters, kookaburra can be quite harsh and clipped, delivering short (and sometimes cryptic) messages. However, this will change depending on what kookaburra is trying to teach you! Remember to be respectful, kookaburra is a predator, and has a very proud energy.
from Wildspeak, Totem Dictionary – perfect for Australians
Kookaburra Flies in Bringing Memories
courtesy of WildSpeak
As a small child my favourite Sunday outing was a visit to the Arches, a place I have written about on this site. The Arches, on the Dargo Road, approximately eight kilometer outside Briagolong, in East Gippsland, Victoria was the enchanted world that I was privileged to regularly visit with my parents, brothers and sister during the 1950’s. One of my strongest memories is of Archie Hair, feeding a ‘pet’ Kookaburra small pieces of sausage. Archie and his Kookaburra taught me about light, laughter and treasure, about prospecting and searching for gold. As I try to rebuild my life this does seem to be a challenge that faces me.
Kookaburras in the morning
a multitude of voices
an East Coast memory. Fran
cronelogical
November 10, 2007 at 10:26 am
Thankyou for sharing your knowledge on this beautiful Australian bird, the mighty King Fisher.
I have learned alot, and feel I have understood the connection that has been occuring with myself and my beloved 17yo sick cat & the kookaburras in the park that we visit.
Thankyou, and many thanx
Tracey Lewis
Tracey
September 18, 2008 at 2:59 am
can anyone help me, a kookaburra came and tried to peck my toes, in the morning, and then again in the afternoon
what does this mean
regards sandra
sandra
February 7, 2010 at 11:55 pm
How fantastic to have such direct communication with such a magical creature. Whether it means something or not you are rather privileged. My intuition tells me that he wanted your attention – perhaps to tell you that he is your totem. Do you have a health problem with your feet? Perhaps kookaburra energy will help you deal with emotional issues leading to foot problems. Feet are very important to our well being. Get a foot massage or soak them in hot water with bath salts or bubble bath, and relax.
I had a rather magical experience with kookaburras where I saw a family of five on a Tv antenna two houses away and I ‘called’ them to me (in my mind).
Soon after they flew into my yard and sat on my clothesline. I quietly observed them for half an hour. A month or so later, I experienced dramas which required the whole extended family to pull together which they did effortlessly. After reading this site I now realise that the appearance of the kookaburras was a sign of the importance of my own family.
The Empty Man author
March 20, 2010 at 2:58 am
I noticed a kookaburra on my washing line yesterday,and felt very humbled that he had come to visit, so I took my camera, and took some photos of him, he let me get quite close, there was one in particular what struck me, was that when I put them on to my computer, i could see that he was watching me the whole time, my family lives quite a distance away, and we are not all that close, and sometimes I feel alone, but upon reflection of the photo’s I took,I think he was telling me that I may feel that they don’t think of me much, but that they always have at least one eye on me, just like he did.
Planctus
June 6, 2010 at 6:22 am
I had a kookaburra on my clothes line when I got out of bed this morning. The meaning is so appropriate. I am honoured to have nature confirm what is happening around me. He was still there when I left for work.
Deboraa Neaves
November 17, 2010 at 1:52 am
I had a baby kookaburra nesting in the vents above my oven, obviously lost his way. A few days later he fell through and was sitting on the window sill, when I looked into the vent to see if there was a nest mother kookaburra had sent down leaves to feed him.
On rescue, baby kookaburra was taken and placed back in his nest a block away from my home – walking back you could here all the kookaburras laughing with joy baby had returned … it has only been 5 days and all the kookaburras have moved in to my yard and the laughter is quite loud. Reading the omens and meanings of the kookaburra – my son returns home tomorrow after 2 years working away and my daughter phoned in distress having car problems – could there be any other signs I’m missing?
Cate
January 20, 2011 at 5:53 am
Hi, can anyone help to explain or tell me the meaning of this… i have had for a few months a kookaburra fly and sit on my balcony and just sit there and look… it would sit there for about 15mins each time….then it was about 2 months that the kookaburra did not return … as of 2 days ago the kookaburra has returned… i would love to know the reason or message it is trying to deliver.
thanks josie
josie
February 6, 2011 at 5:05 am
I had a dream earlier this morning. I was caught in a downpoor and was trying to stay dry with a small umbrella when a baby Kookaburra came to me, perched on my finger and for the rest of my dream everywhere I went this baby kookaburra stayed with me. He would sit on my shoulder or on my finger and I would make sure to protect him. He was absolutely adorable and very sweet. This dream makes so much sense for me right now, in fact I asked the Bird Kingdom just yesterday to send me the perfect bird energy to help me change my old negative thought patterns and to help with healing. Isn’t it amazing, all we need to do is ask : )
jaime
February 18, 2011 at 6:10 pm
My beloved mum passed away about 6 weeks ago. On the morning of the funeral a kookaburra was sitting on the washing line. He looked and looked at me turning his head to the side as if giving me a look of sympathy. He always comes to visit me now. Yesterday he was on the back fence for at least 2 hours. I am really taking the loss of my mum so hard. We lived together and I miss her terribly. When I see the Kookaburra it fills me with hope that mum is OK and is still watching over me.
miriam
April 1, 2011 at 1:35 am
Thank you everyone for sharing your stories. Kookaburras have been trying to get through to me for some time – three baby birds fell from their nest, one after the other … the first one i didn’t even notice and found as a tiny skeleton… the second one i tried to rescue and fed it worms for days before it died (the nest had been washed away in all the rain so i couldn’t put it back) … the third one had secondary feathers so I put it in a nest i made of a hollow log, right beneath the original mud nest, but it too ended up dying (I took it to the animal rescue team too late). Now a solitary adult is sitting on our street sign every time i come home at night… it flew right up to the windscreen the other night, as if to say “Take Notice!” That’s how i ended up here. Big fight with big sister… dad dying… all makes sense. Except the baby birds… haven’t quite got that one yet…
Nicola
May 2, 2011 at 3:53 am
i have just moved into a unit and i have two kookaburra who frequently visit my balcony. my daughter and i named one – kookie, and the other burra. kookie seems so friendly and just waits on the balcony looking in for someone. i can hand feed him he is a beautiful bird. burra, is a little timid and will wait on the balcony but fly away when someone goes out. they recently both disappeared for a couple of days, i was worried they had gone for good. but just this afternoon they returned. i looked out my window and FOUR of them were sitting waiting on the balcony. when i got outside only one flew away. 2 of them i could hand feed the other just sat there. i feel they are all here for some reason.
kaili
May 24, 2011 at 4:40 am
I have two kookaburra’s living around our property at the moment, they only go off when I come outside or first thing in the morning when I get up. . . .I am still trying to figure out the meaning to this, any help would be appreciated
Zal
June 4, 2011 at 8:51 pm
I have a conection with kookaburras Ilove them soooooooooooooooooo much I have been studding them for the past mounth
Airlie Browning
July 15, 2011 at 10:11 pm
My father who has terminal cancer was recently in hospital, had a Kookaburra arrive and perch on the windowsill. He sat and just looked at us for quite a long time. I and some nurses got right up close and took photo’s. It was very much like he was a messenger. Which is what led me to this site. Thank you so much – the message is as you say here – very appropriate to what is going on within our family.
Do you know anything about whip birds?
I was sitting on my boyfriends verandah playing my guitar and singing all morning when much to my surprise and astonishment a whip bird flew in – whipped at me and flew off! It was very loud too. I’d only ever heard them call from afar before and never had I seen one much less had such a dramatic visit from one before ever in my life. Two bird visits in as many days! I’m extremely curious to know of the significance of this.
Sandra Bonney
October 6, 2011 at 11:11 am
I took photos of two Kookaburras last week in my backyard on a tree.They didn’t seem to mind at all and the photos turned out awesome,so I put them up on flicker…it looked like they (Kookaburras) were looking bull’s eye directly at me…it felt nice to have that privilege of being so close to a native bird..I’m not supersitious,but I think to the Aboriginal people this bird has a meaning….
Lacey
November 21, 2011 at 6:24 am
I was just crying about the long and ongoing issues I’m having with my neighbour which I dont know how it started. I have attempted to apologise in the past for whatever I unintentionally did to her but she refused to come to the front door.
It has escalated so that we were both protecting our egos and the police got involved most recently. I always notice her family and friends around and I believe that it was to remind me to reconnect with family and friends which I did.
However the ego trips turned up again yesterday when she tried to play chicken with my husband on the road for what reason I’m unsure of. I was so sad today that all my attempts at peace were not working and I felt helpless. We could be such good friends. Our children could be such wonderful friends if we just talked it out. Suddenly I heard an over powering laughter of Kookaburras which have never visited me at my workplace. The moment I acknowledged their sounds (could not see each other) they stopped and must have flown away.
There was a family of them. It was the loudest most amazing laugh I’ve ever heard. I was so desperate to get a message that all would be OK and I think I received it. I’m not sure however of their message. I hope it’s a good message because I really want to see a new chapter of friendship start. I’ve had my fair share of family issues, issues that no one can really understand….such as my own sister who was my best friend decide she didn’t want to talk to me for one and a half years, my sister in law deciding she didn’t want to be friends because I maintained a friendship with her cousins after they fought, my mother in law turning on me after a 17 year friendship.
I feel lonely and want friends and family in my life and more often.
If anyone can shed light on what this means, I would be eternally grateful.
Mary
December 6, 2011 at 1:04 am
Love love Birds !
Lusi
January 1, 2012 at 12:29 am
Hi, my name is Cristina Munoz and I had a Kookaburra visit me recently 3 times. It was so dramatic I ended up researching what it means to have a Kookaburra visit you and came across your site and found it so helpful I wrote a whole post about my own personal experience with my ‘Mr Kookaburra’ who visited me 3 times and also included in my post a link back to your blog post here. I thought you might want to know and enjoy my post about ‘Mr Kookaburra’ which includes a video he let me take plus a couple of photo’s at: http://wp.me/pXvkw-1Q2. Thank you as what you shared as you will see was spot on for me and he certainly help be get my laughter back.
Cristina Munoz
February 29, 2012 at 1:13 am