Stork-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis)

Other Names (World)
Stork-billed Kingfisher, Brown-headed Stork-billed Kingfisher

Family
Alcedinidae (Kingfishers)

Size
37 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Linnaeus, 1766)

Habitat
Subtropical and tropical lowland moist forest, mangroves. From sea-level - 1,200 m.

Range (Guide)

Bangladesh (B), Brunei Darussalam (B), India (B), Indonesia (B), Laos (B), Malaysia (B), Myanmar (B), Nepal (B), Philippines (B), Singapore (B), Sri Lanka (B), Thailand (B).

Vagrant to China (mainland) (B).

Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.

Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Voice
Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (172)...)

Stork-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis) [XC240372]
by Mike Nelson from Tmat Boey, Preah Vihear Province, Cambodia (call)

Stork-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis) [XC576720]
by Okamoto Keita Sin from West Coast Park, Singapore, Singapore (call)

Subspecies
Genus sometimes merged into Halcyon. In the past, genus name given as Ramphalcyon, but Pelargopsis has priority. Forms a superspecies with Black-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis melanorhyncha). Mainland subspecies intergrade to some extent; subspecies smithi, nesoeca and isoptera of doubtful validity. Somewhat confused nomenclature: nominate subspecies previously believed to refer to populations of Java; under that arrangement, Indian mainland birds were placed in subspecies gurial. Birds of Borneo formerly separated as either subspecies innominata or subspecies javana, with latter name at one stage erroneously thought to refer not to Javan birds but to those of Borneo.

The following 16 subspecies are recognised:

capensis (Linnaeus, 1766) - Indian Subcontinent (except western and extreme north) south to Sri Lanka.
osmastoni (Baker, ECS, 1934) - Andaman Is.
intermedia Hume, 1874 - Nicobar Is.
burmanica Sharpe, 1870 - Myanmar, Thailand and Indochina south to about Isthmus of Kra in Malay Peninsula.
malaccensis Sharpe, 1870 - From Isthmus of Kra south to Riau and Lingga Archipelagos.
cyanopteryx (Oberholser, 1909) - Sumatra, Bangka, Belitung and Borneo.
simalurensis Richmond, 1903 - Simeulue I, off north-western Sumatra.
sodalis Richmond, 1903 - Banyak Is, off north-western Sumatra.
nesoeca (Oberholser, 1909) - Nias I and Batu Is, off western Sumatra.
isoptera (Oberholser, 1909) - Mentawai Is, off western Sumatra.
javana (Boddaert, 1783) - Java.
floresiana Sharpe, 1870 - Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa and Flores.
gouldi Sharpe, 1870 - Northern and western Philippines.
smithi (Mearns, 1909) - Central and southern Philippines.
gigantea Walden, 1874 - Sulu Archipelago (southern Philippines).
innominata (van Oort, 1910) - Borneo.

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Stork-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

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