Malachite Kingfisher (Corythornis cristatus) [XC132991]
by Peter Boesman from Santo Antonio, Principe, Sao Tome (call)
Malachite Kingfisher (Corythornis cristatus) [XC371182]
by Peter Boesman from Le Firdou, Kolda, Casamance, Senegal (call, song)
Subspecies
Malachite Kingfisher (Corythornis cristatus), Madagascar Kingfisher (Corythornis vintsioides) and Sao Tome Kingfisher (Corythornis thomensis) (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) were retained as separate species contra Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993) who include vintsioides and thomensis as subspecies of Malachite Kingfisher (Corythornis cristatus). Malachite Kingfisher (Corythornis cristatus), Sao Tome Kingfisher (Corythornis thomensis) and Principe Kingfisher (Corythornis nais) (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) have been lumped into Alcedo cristata following Melo and Fuchs (2008) who provide morphological and phylogenetic evidence in support of this treatment and demostrate that nais shares no affinity with White-bellied Kingfisher (Corythornis leucogaster) with which it has been treated as conspecific.
Closely related to White-bellied Kingfisher (Corythornis leucogaster) and Madagascar Kingfisher (Corythornis vintsioides), and sometimes placed with them in a separate genus Corythornis. Forms a superspecies with Madagascar Kingfisher (Corythornis vintsioides). Also close to Principe Kingfisher (Corythornis nais) and Sao Tome Kingfisher (Corythornis thomensis), with both of which it has been regarded as conspecific.
Proposed forms robertsi and cyanostigma are synonyms of nominate.
The following 6 subspecies are recognised:
galerita Statius Muller, 1776 - Africa southern of Sahara south to Limpopo River and Mozambique.
cristata Pallas, 1764 - Nigeria east to western Sudan, Uganda and Kenya, and south to southern Angola, northern Namibia and Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
stuartkeithi Dickerman, 1989 - Sudan (Blue Nile), Ethiopia and southern Somalia; possibly resident also in eastern Yemen (2 records).
nais (Kaup, 1848) - Príncipe (Gulf of Guinea). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Principe Kingfisher (Corythornis nais).
thomensis Salvadori, 1902 - São Tomé (Gulf of Guinea). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Sao Tome Kingfisher (Corythornis thomensis).
robertsi Peters, JL, 1945 - Northern Namibia and southern Angola to north-western Zimbabwe and south-western Zambia.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet