Common. Sedentary in the north and a summer migrant to the south.
Habitat
Almost exclusively subtropical and tropical mangroves. Also dry savanna, inland wetlands, tidal creeks, nearby beaches, mudflats, jetties, plantations and gardens. To 1,500 m.
Voice
A 'kek kek', the first slightly higer-pitched than the second, and often preceeded by a short, preliminary note. Also a loud, clear 'pukee pukee pukee'. A peevish, rising 'keer keer'.
Nest
In a hole in a termites nest, or a hole in a tree.
Eggs (Guide)
2 or 3; smooth, rather glossy, white; broadly oval to almost spherical; about 32 x 26 mm. Incubation: both sexes.
Young
Altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in 29 - 30 days.
Subspecies
Genus often merged into Halcyon. Closely related to Talaud Kingfisher (Todiramphus enigma) and Guam Kingfisher (Todiramphus cinnamominus). Talaud Kingfisher (Todiramphus enigma) has been treated as conspecific, but lives alongside present species without hybridizing. Also close to Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus) and Chattering Kingfisher (Todiramphus tutus), and some of the subspecies listed below may be better placed in one of these, e.g. regina, vitiensis and eximius sometimes placed in Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus), whereas marinus, sacer, manuae and pealei may be better considered subspecies of Chattering Kingfisher (Todiramphus tutus). Of numerous subspecies named, some (e.g. albicilla) are distinctive but several others doubtfully valid. Further research and revision desirable.
The following 49 subspecies are recognised:
abyssinicus (Pelzeln, 1856) - Southern Red Sea coasts from north-eastern Sudan to north-western Somalia and in western Arabia.
kalbaensis (Cowles, 1980) - Southern Arabian coast of United Arab Emirates (Khawr Kalba) and north-western Oman (Shnass).
vidali (Sharpe, 1892) - Western India from Ratnagiri south to Kerala.
davisoni (Sharpe, 1892) - Andaman Is and nearby Cocos Is.
occipitalis Blyth, 1846 - Nicobar Is.
humii (Sharpe, 1892) - Coasts of West Bengal east to Myanmar (including Mergui Archipelago) and south to Peninsular Malaysia, Tioman I and north-eastern Sumatra.
armstrongi (Sharpe, 1892) - Interior of Myanmar and Thailand, Indochina and eastern China (Shaweishan Is, in Jiangsu).
laubmannianus (Grote, 1933) - Sumatra (except north-eastern coast) to Borneo, including Bangka, Belitung and other intervening islands.
chloropterus (Oberholser, 1919) - Islands off western coast of Sumatra (Simeulue south to Sipora).
azelus (Oberholser, 1919) - Enggano I (off south-western Sumatra).
palmeri (Oberholser, 1919) - Java, Bali, Bawean and Kangean Is.
collaris (Scopoli, 1786) - Philippines.
chloris (Boddaert, 1783) - Talaud and Sangihe Is south through Sulawesi, Banggai and Sula Is to Lesser Sundas (from Lombok eastwards) and east to western Papuan Is and north-western New Guinea (coasts of Vogelkop and Onin Peninsulas).
sordidus ( Gould, 1842) - Aru Is, and northern and north-eastern coasts of Australia. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Torresian Kingfisher (Todiramphus sordidus).
pilbara ( Johnstone, 1983) - North-western Australia from R De Grey west to Exmouth Gulf. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Torresian Kingfisher (Todiramphus sordidus).
teraokai (Kuroda, Nagamichi, 1915) - Palau Is.
owstoni ( Rothschild, 1904) - Northern Northern Marianas (Asuncion, Agrihan, Pagan, Almagan). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Mariana Kingfisher (Todiramphus albicilla).
albicilla ( Dumont, 1823) - Southern northern Marianas (Saipan, Tinian). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Mariana Kingfisher (Todiramphus albicilla).
orii ( Takatsukasa and Yamashina, 1931) - Southern northern Marianas (Rota). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Mariana Kingfisher (Todiramphus albicilla).
matthiae ( Heinroth, 1902) - St Matthias Is (north-central Bismarck Archipelago). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Melanesian Kingfisher (Todiramphus tristrami).
nusae ( Heinroth, 1902) - New Hanover, New Ireland (except south-west) and Feni Is. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Melanesian Kingfisher (Todiramphus tristrami).
novaehiberniae ( Hartert, 1925) - South-western New Ireland. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Melanesian Kingfisher (Todiramphus tristrami).
bennetti ( Ripley, 1947) - Nissan I (east of New Ireland). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Melanesian Kingfisher (Todiramphus tristrami).
stresemanni ( Laubmann, 1923) - Islands between mainland New Guinea and New Britain (Witu, Umboi, Sakar, Long and Tolokiwa). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Melanesian Kingfisher (Todiramphus tristrami).
tristrami ( E. L. Layard, 1880) - New Britain. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Melanesian Kingfisher (Todiramphus tristrami).
colonus ( Hartert, 1896) - Louisiade Archipelago.
alberti ( Rothschild and Hartert, 1905) - Western and central Solomons, from Buka and Bougainville east to Florida Is and Guadalcanal. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Melanesian Kingfisher (Todiramphus tristrami).
pavuvu ( Mayr, 1935) - Pavuvu, in Russell Is (central Solomons). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer).
mala ( Mayr, 1935) - Malaita (eastern Solomons). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer).
solomonis ( E. P. Ramsay, 1882) - San Cristobal and adjacent islands (eastern Solomons). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer).
sororum ( I. C. J. Galbraith and E. H. Galbraith, 1962) - Malaupaina and Malaulalo (eastern Solomons). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer).
amoenus ( Mayr, 1931) - Rennell and Bellona (eastern Solomons). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer).
ornatus ( Mayr, 1931) - Nendo and Tinakula (north-western Santa Cruz Is). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer).
brachyurus ( Mayr, 1931) - Reef or Swallow Is (north-central Santa Cruz Is). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer).
vicina ( Mayr, 1931) - Duff Is (north-eastern Santa Cruz Is). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer).
utupuae ( Mayr, 1931) - Utupua I (central Santa Cruz Is). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer).
melanodera ( Mayr, 1931) - Vanikoro I (southern Santa Cruz Is). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer).
torresianus ( Mayr, 1931) - Hiu and Loh in Torres Is (northern Vanuatu). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer).
santoensis ( Mayr, 1931) - Banks Is south to Espiritu Santo and Malo (north-central Vanuatu). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer).
juliae ( Heine, 1860) - Ambae and Maewo south to Efate (central Vanuatu). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer).
erromangae ( Mayr, 1938) - Erromango and Aneityum (southern Vanuatu). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer).
tannensis ( Sharpe, 1892) - Tanna (southern Vanuatu). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer).
regina ( Mayr, 1941) - Futuna I, in central Polynesia. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer).
pealei ( Finsch and Hartlaub, 1867) - Tutuila (American Samoa). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer).
manuae ( Mayr, 1941) - Ofu, Olosega and Tau, in Manua Is (American Samoa). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer).
vitiensis ( Peale, 1848) - Vanua Levu, Taveuni, Viti Levu, Koro, Ovalau and Ngau (Fiji). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer).
marinus ( Mayr, 1941) - Lau Archipelago (eastern Fiji). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer).
eximius ( Mayr, 1941) - Kadavu (southern Fiji). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer).
sacer ( J. F. Gmelin, 1788) - Central and southern Tonga. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer).
Similar Species
Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus) which is smaller and has buffer underparts and Forest Kingfisher (Todiramphus macleayii) which is smaller and has a darker cap and bluer upperparts.
Compare Images
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
(50Kb) © ? (
BirdLife International Species Factsheet