Collared Kingfisher

Photo by Romy Ocon
South Lagoon, Las Pinas City, Philippines

Todiramphus chloris

Todirhamphus chloris, Halcyon chloris

Identification

22-29 cm

• Blue-green upperparts
• White or buff underparts
• White neck collar
• Black eye stripe
• Black bill
• Pale yellow lower mandible
  

Female: more green
Subspecies vary with white or buff eyestripes, white spot between bill and eye.

Distribution

Southern Asia and Malaysia.

Taxonomy

Courting behaviour
Photo by russkie
Langkawi, Malaysia

Was previously Halcyon chloris. The Sibley-Monroe spelling of the scientific name (Todirhamphus chloris) is incorrect. Clements and Howard & Moore both use Todiramphus chloris. More details in this discussion.

Subspecies

This is a polytypic species consisting of 50+ subspecies which are now split into six species by Clements^[1]. However other authorities don't yet recognized this split and the Opus follows.

Photo by Romy Ocon
Manila Bay, Philippines, September 2010

• Pacific Kingfisher (Todiramphus sacer)
  • T.c.torresianus: Torres Group (Toga, Loh and Hiu)
  • T.c.santoensis: Banks Group to Espíritu Santo and Malo (northern Vanuatu)
  • T.c.juliae: Northern and central Vanuatu (Maewo and Aoba islands to Efate)
  • T.c.erromangae: Erromango Island (southern Vanuatu)
  • T.c.tannensis: Tanna Island (southern Vanuatu)
  • T.c.sacer: Tonga
  • T.c.pealei: Tutuila Island (American Samoa)
  • T.c.manuae: American Samoa (Ofu, Olosega and Tau)
  • T.c.mala: Malaita (eastern [Solomon Islands]])
  • T.c.sororum: Southern Solomon Islands (Malaupaina and Malaulalo)
  • T.c.pavuvu: Pavuvu Island (Russel Group in central Solomon Islands)
  • T.c.solomonis: Solomon Islands (Uki Ni Masi, Makira and Santa Anna)
  • T.c.amoenus: Solomon Islands (Rennell and Bellona)
  • T.c.brachyurus: Reef Islands (Fenualoa and Lomlon)
  • T.c.vicina: Duff Group (eastern Solomon Islands)

Subspecies eximius
Photo by peterday
Kadavu Island, Fiji, September 2015

• • T.c.ornatus: Eastern Solomon Islands (Santa Cruz and Tinakula)
  • T.c.utupuae: Utupua Island (Santa Cruz Group in eastern Solomon Islands)
  • T.c.melanodera: Vanikolo Island (Santa Cruz Group in eastern Solomon Islands)
  • T.c.marinus: Lau Archipelago (eastern Fiji)
  • T.c. vitiensis: Fiji (Ngau, Ovalau, Koro, Viti Levu, Vanua Levu and Taveuni)
  • T.c. eximius: Fiji (Kandavu, Ono and Vanua Kula)
  • T.c. regina:Futuna (Wallis and Futuna, central Polynesia)
• Colonist Kingfisher (Todiramphus colonus)
  • T.c.colonus: Islands off south-eastern Papua New Guinea and Louisiade Archipelago
• Torresian Kingfisher (Todiramphus sordidus)
  • T.c.pilbara: Western Australia (Exmouth Gulf to mouth of Turner River)
  • T.c.sordidus: Southern New Guinea, Aru Islands and coastal northern Australia
  • T.c.colcloughi: Central Queensland coast to north-eastern New South Wales
• Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris)
  • T.c.abyssinicus: West coast of Red Sea to head of Gulf of Aden
  • T.c.kalbaensis: South coast of Arabian Peninsula to extreme north-western Oman
  • T.c.humii: North-western India to Malay Peninsula, Thailand, Myanmar, Mergui Archaepelago
  • T.c.vidali: Peninsular India (Ratnagiri District)
  • T.c.armstrongi: Southern Thailand and Myanmar
  • T.c.davisoni: Andaman Islands and Cocos Islands (Indian Ocean)
  • T.c.occipitalis: Nicobar Islands
  • T.c.chloropterus: Islands off western Sumatra (except Enggano)
  • T.c.azelus: Enggano Island (off south-western [Sumatra]])
  • T.c.palmeri: Java, Bali and adjacent islands in Java Sea
  • T.c.laubmannianus: Southern Sumatra, Borneo and adjacent islands
  • T.c.collaris: Philippines, Sulu Archipelago and Palawan
  • T.c.chloris: Sulawesi to north-western New Guinea and Lesser Sundas
  • T.c.teraokai: Palau Islands (western Caroline Islands)
• Mariana Kingfisher (Todiramphus albicilla)
  • T.c.owstoni: Northern Mariana Islands (Asuncion, Pagan, Almagan and Agrihan)
  • T.c.albicilla: Southern Mariana Islands (Saipan, Tinian and Aguiguan)
  • T.c.orii: Rota Island (southern Mariana Islands)
• Melanesian Kingfisher (Todiramphus tristrami)
  • T.c.matthiae: St. Matthias Islands (Papua New Guinea)
  • T.c.stresemanni: Witu, Umboi and adjacent islands in Dampier Straits
  • T.c.nusae: New Ireland (except south-west), New Hanover and Feni Islands
  • T.c.novaehiberniae: New Ireland (Bismarck Archipelago)
  • T.c.bennetti: Nissan Island (eastern Papua New Guinea)
  • T.c.tristrami: New Britain (Bismarck Archipelago)
  • T.c.alberti: Buka, Bougainville and Solomon Islands (east to Guadalcanal)

The subspecies regina, eximius and vitiensis are sometimes placed within Sacred Kingfisher.

Habitat

Coastal areas, mangrove swamps, farmland, open woodland, grassland and gardens.

Behaviour

Diet

The diet includes crabs, insects, shrimps, frogs, worms, snails, lizards and small fish.

Breeding

It nests in holes. The clutch consists of 2-7 round whitish eggs which are incubated by both parents. The young fledge about 44 days after hatching.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/

• List of references

Recommended Citation

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

External Links

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