The Australian National Dictionary beta

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ha-ha pigeon n. Hist. (Also ha-ha bird, ha-ha duck.) [From the sound of its call. Cf. laughing jackass (i) laughing.] A kookaburra, Dacelo novaeguineae, of southern and eastern Australia (introduced into Tasmania and south-western Western Australia), with a distinctive loud laughing call. See kookaburra 1.

1929 Register News-Pictorial (Adelaide) 22 Nov. 6/3 In reference to shooting the ‘ha ha pigeon’, it was only this week that I was again informed about the Italian colony in this locality are shooting and eating kookaburras and magpies.   1938 F. Clune Free & Easy Land 257 The Ha Ha pigeons (Kookaburras) of Woothakata can Ha Ha without fear and trembling.   1955 Argus (Melbourne) 29 Oct. (Suppl.) 4/5 The old and often-repeated story of the Italian expressing preference for ‘black-and-white duck’ (magpie) over ‘ha-ha pigeon’ (kookaburra) is literally true.   1962 Marshall & Drysdale Journey among Men 169 In the settled areas Italian migrants have begun to put themselves on the wrong side of the law by eating  ..  kookaburras (‘ha ha pigeons’) and, in fact, almost everything in feathers.   1969 P. Adam-Smith Folklore Austral. Railwaymen 128 They  ..  even shot ‘Ha-Ha birds’ and magpies until I stopped them.   1970 J.S. Gunn in W.S. Ramson Eng. Transported 50 In certain areas along the Murray River the kookaburra is also called a ha-ha duck because some migrants eat them.   2005 Mercury (Hobart) 8 Feb. 25/1 The kookaburra, fondly known in earlier days as the ha-ha duck and settler's clock, is established here.