- Alcedo hercules
Identification
22-23 cm ( 8¾-9 in)
Male
- Blue-tipped black head feathers
- Black lores
- Whitish neck patch
Distribution
Asia: found in Sikkim to south-western China, Tibet, Inner Mongolia, India, Eastern Himalayas, Bangladesh and Bhutan
Southeast Asia: Indochina, Myanmar, northern Laos, northern Vietnam and Thailand
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Along streams and small rivers in deep ravines, hilly country and evergreen forest at heights around 400-1,000 m.
Status
Classified as Near-Threatened in the 2008 IUCN Red List.
Behaviour
Diet
Their diet consists mostly of fish and probably also insects. The hunt from a low concealed perch in bushes.
Breeding
They excavate a tunnel in a vertical stream bank.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- BirdLife International
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Feb 2018)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Blyth's Kingfisher. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 26 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Blyth%27s_Kingfisher
