Biak Paradise Kingfisher - BirdForum Opus

Photo by mehdhalaouate
East Biak, Papua, Indonesia, September 2004

Tanysiptera riedelii

Identification

Length about 36-40 cm including the streamers or the tail-feathers.

Distribution

Only found on the Indonesian island of Biak in Geelvink Bay (western New Guinea).

Status

Classified as Near Threatened in the 2008 IUCN Red List².

Taxonomy

Monotypic^[1]

Habitat

Inhabits the lower canopy of secondary and swampy forests.

Behaviour

A very inconspicious bird and very difficult to spot even with the blue feather colouration.

Breeding

Solitary, except during the breeding season when the males and females can be seen within some meters of each other. Territorial fights are very common as this species is very aggressive. Nests in termitaria and feeds on insects, crickets and spiders taken from the forest floor.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. BirdLife International (2008) Species factsheet: Tanysiptera riedelii. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 19/7/2008.

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Biak Paradise Kingfisher. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Biak_Paradise_Kingfisher

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