Stork-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis) [XC158692]
by Adrian Walsh from Taman Negara National Park, Malaysia (call)
Stork-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis) [XC578914]
by Teus Luijendijk from Kranji Marshes, Singapore, Singapore (song)
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).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet