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Difference between revisions of "White-throated Kingfisher" - BirdForum Opus

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'''Alternative names: White-breasted Kingfisher or Smyrna Kingfisher'''
 
'''Alternative names: White-breasted Kingfisher or Smyrna Kingfisher'''
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[[Image:white-throated_kingfisher_alok_1.JPG|thumb|400px|right|Nominate subspecies<br />Photo by {{user|aloktewari|Alok Tewari}}<br />[[Keoladeo National Park]], Bharatpur, [[India]], Dec-2015]]
 
;[[:Category:Halcyon|Halcyon]] smyrnensis
 
;[[:Category:Halcyon|Halcyon]] smyrnensis
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[[Image:wt kingfisher Neil.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by {{user|Neil|Neil}}<br />Location: [[Hong Kong]],[[China]], July, 2009]]
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'''Includes: Brown-breasted Kingfisher'''
 
==Identification==
 
==Identification==
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28 cm.  Bright blue back, wings and tail, chestnut head, shoulders, flanks and lower belly, white throat and breast, bright red bill and legs, in flight large white patches are visible on the blue and black wings. Sexes are similar; juveniles are a duller version of the adult.
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[[Image:wt kingfisher Neil.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Subspecies ''H. s. fokiensis''<br />Photo by {{user|Neil|Neil}}<br />[[Hong Kong]],[[China]], July, 2009]]
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26·5–28 cm (10½-11 in)
 +
*Bluish-back, wings and tail
 +
*Chestnut head, shoulders, flanks and lower belly
 +
*White throat and breast
 +
*Red bill and legs<br />
 +
Sexes are similar; juveniles are a duller version of the adult.
 +
====Flight====
 +
Large white patches are visible on the open wings.
 
==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
 +
[[Image:white-throated_kingfisher_alok_2.JPG|thumb|350px|right|Subspecies ''H. s. fusca'' : Courting pair<br />Photo by {{user|aloktewari|Alok Tewari}}<br />Dist. Nainital, Uttarakhand [[Himalayas]], Alt. 5200 ft., [[India]], April-2011]]
 
[[Egypt]] and [[Turkey]] east through [[Middle East]] and South [[Asia]] to the [[Philippines]].
 
[[Egypt]] and [[Turkey]] east through [[Middle East]] and South [[Asia]] to the [[Philippines]].
 
==Taxonomy==
 
==Taxonomy==
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Six subspecies are recognized<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>: ''smyrnensis'', ''fusca'', ''saturatior'', ''perpulchra'', ''fokiensis'', and ''gularis''.
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====Subspecies====
 +
[[Image:NDW 3737.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Subspecies ''H. s. perpulchra''<br />Photo by {{user|ndwgolf|ndwgolf}}<br />Lake Garden, Kuala Lumpur, [[Malaysia]], November 2015]]
 +
Five<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup> or six<sup>[[#References|[2]]]</sup> subspecies are recognized:
 +
*''H. s. smyrnensis'':
 +
:*[[Arabian Peninsula]] to Caucasus Mountains and north-western [[India]]
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*''H. s. fusca'':
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:*Westerm India and [[Sri Lanka]]
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*''H. s. saturatior'':
 +
:*[[Andaman Islands]]
 +
*''H. s. perpulchra'':
 +
:*[[Myanmar]] to [[Malay Peninsula]] and [[Indochina]]
 +
*''H. s. fokiensis'':
 +
:*Southern and eastern [[China]]; Hainan and [[Taiwan]]
 +
*''H. s. gularis'': '''Brown-breasted Kingfisher'''
 +
:*[[Philippines]]
 
==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
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Habitats with some trees, not always near water.
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They make use of a mixture of habitats such as ponds, canals, swamps and mudflats, usually with some trees. The are not always found near water.
 
==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==
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The diet includes large insects, rodents, snakes, fish and frogs. It is reputed to eat tired migratory passerine birds like Chiffchaffs where the opportunity arises.
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====Diet====
 +
[[Image:IMG 9999 151.JPG|thumb|350px|right|Sub-adult<br />Photo by {{user|ragoorao|ragoorao}}<br />Mysore, Karnataka, [[India]]]]
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Their varied diet consists of large insects such as crickets and grasshoppers, rodents, snakes, fish and frogs and small birds.
 +
====Breeding====
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As with most kingfisher species, the nest chamber is in an earthy bank. The clutch consists of 4-7 round white eggs.
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====Vocalisation====
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<flashmp3>white-throated_kingfisher_call_alok.mp3</flashmp3><br />
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''[[Media: white-throated_kingfisher_call_alok.mp3|Listen in an external program]]''<br />
 +
Recording by {{user|aloktewari|Alok Tewari}}<br />
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[[Keoladeo National Park]], Bharatpur, [[India]], June-2017<br />
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Two individuals calling- one near and other at a distance.Calls by Greater Coucal, Western Koel-male, Red-wattled Lapwing and Common Myna are heard in the BG.
 +
==Gallery==
 +
Click images to see larger version
 +
<gallery>
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Image:Filtered D5H 7261 Medium .JPG|Subspecies ''H. s. perpulchra'', Juvenile<br />Photo by {{user|jweeyh|jweeyh}}<br />[[Singapore]], December 2016
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Image:Wtkf-2.jpg|By {{user|Nook|Nook}}<br />Na Ngua, Phetchabun, [[Thailand]], June-2017
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</gallery>
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==References==
 +
 
 +
#{{Ref-Clements6thAug17}}#Avibase
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#Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved November 2015)
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#Wikipedia
 +
{{ref}}
  
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The nest is a 50cm tunnel in an earth bank. 4-7 round white eggs are laid.
 
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==References==
 
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# Clements, James F. 2007. ''The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World''. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019
 
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
 
{{GSearch|Halcyon+smyrnensis}}
 
{{GSearch|Halcyon+smyrnensis}}
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*[http://www.orientalbirdimages.org/birdimages.php?action=birdspecies&Bird_ID=401&Bird_Image_ID=118&Bird_Family_ID=77 View more images of this species on Orientalbirdimages]
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<br />
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[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Halcyon]]
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{{Video|White_throated_Kingfisher}}
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<br />
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{{Video|White_breasted_Kingfisher Use "White-breasted Kingfisher" to}}
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[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Halcyon]] [[Category:Videos]][[Category:Bird Songs]]

Revision as of 23:43, 25 January 2018

Alternative names: White-breasted Kingfisher or Smyrna Kingfisher

Nominate subspecies
Photo by Alok Tewari
Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, India, Dec-2015
Halcyon smyrnensis

Includes: Brown-breasted Kingfisher

Identification

Subspecies H. s. fokiensis
Photo by Neil
Hong Kong,China, July, 2009

26·5–28 cm (10½-11 in)

  • Bluish-back, wings and tail
  • Chestnut head, shoulders, flanks and lower belly
  • White throat and breast
  • Red bill and legs

Sexes are similar; juveniles are a duller version of the adult.

Flight

Large white patches are visible on the open wings.

Distribution

Subspecies H. s. fusca : Courting pair
Photo by Alok Tewari
Dist. Nainital, Uttarakhand Himalayas, Alt. 5200 ft., India, April-2011

Egypt and Turkey east through Middle East and South Asia to the Philippines.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

Subspecies H. s. perpulchra
Photo by ndwgolf
Lake Garden, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, November 2015

Five[1] or six[2] subspecies are recognized:

  • H. s. smyrnensis:
  • H. s. fusca:
  • H. s. saturatior:
  • H. s. perpulchra:
  • H. s. fokiensis:
  • H. s. gularis: Brown-breasted Kingfisher

Habitat

They make use of a mixture of habitats such as ponds, canals, swamps and mudflats, usually with some trees. The are not always found near water.

Behaviour

Diet

Sub-adult
Photo by ragoorao
Mysore, Karnataka, India

Their varied diet consists of large insects such as crickets and grasshoppers, rodents, snakes, fish and frogs and small birds.

Breeding

As with most kingfisher species, the nest chamber is in an earthy bank. The clutch consists of 4-7 round white eggs.

Vocalisation

<flashmp3>white-throated_kingfisher_call_alok.mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
Recording by Alok Tewari
Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, India, June-2017
Two individuals calling- one near and other at a distance.Calls by Greater Coucal, Western Koel-male, Red-wattled Lapwing and Common Myna are heard in the BG.

Gallery

Click images to see larger version

References

  1. 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/
  2. Avibase
  3. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved November 2015)
  4. Wikipedia

Recommended Citation

External Links



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