- 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
Taxonomy
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[1]
- 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.vidali: Peninsular India (Ratnagiri District)
- T.c.davisoni: Andaman Islands and Cocos Islands (Indian Ocean)
- T.c.occipitalis: Nicobar Islands
- T.c.humii: North-western India to Malay Peninsula, Thailand, Myanmar, Mergui Archaepelago
- T.c.armstrongi: Southern Thailand and Myanmar
- 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.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
- T.c.colonus: Islands off south-eastern Papua New Guinea and Louisiade Archipelago
- T.c.teraokai: Palau Islands (western Caroline Islands)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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, San Cristóbal 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)
- T.c.ornatus: Eastern Solomon Islands (Santa Cruz and Tinakula)
- T.c.utupuae: Utupua Island (Santa Cruz Group in eastern Solomon Islands)
- T.c.melanoderus: Vanikolo Island (Santa Cruz Group in eastern Solomon Islands)
- 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.marinus: Lau Archipelago (eastern Fiji)
- T.c.sacer: Tonga
- T.c.pealei: Tutuila Island (American Samoa)
- T.c.manuae: American Samoa (Ofu, Olosega and Tau)
The former subspecies regina, eximius and vitiensis are now thought to belong to 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
- Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
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
