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Kingfishers
Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species found in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, but also can be seen in Europe. They can be found in deep forests near calm ponds and small rivers. The family contains 114 species and is divided into three subfamilies and 19 genera. All kingfishers have large heads, long, sharp, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. Most species have bright plumage with only small differences between the sexes. Most species are tropical in distribution, and a slight majority are found only in forests. They consume a wide range of prey usually caught by swooping down from a perch. While kingfishers are usually thought to live near rivers and eat fish, many species live away from water and eat small invertebrates. Like other members of their order, they nest in cavities, usually tunnels dug into ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kingfisher Kakadu
Kingfishers are a family (biology), family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species found in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, but also can be seen in Europe. They can be found in deep forests near calm ponds and small rivers. The family contains 114 species and is divided into three subfamilies and 19 genera. All kingfishers have large heads, long, sharp, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. Most species have bright plumage with only small sexual dimorphism, differences between the sexes. Most species are tropical in distribution, and a slight majority are found only in forests. They consume a wide range of prey usually caught by swooping down from a perch. While kingfishers are usually thought to live near rivers and eat fish, many species live away from water and eat small invertebrates. Like other members of their order, they nest in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tanysiptera
The paradise kingfishers (genus ''Tanysiptera'') are a group of tree kingfishers endemic to New Guinea — with the exception of two species also present in the Moluccas and Queensland. The genus was erected by the Irish zoologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors in 1825. The type species is the common paradise kingfisher. The name ''Tanysiptera'' is from classical Greek ''tanusipteros'' meaning "long-feathered". The birds in the genus have distinctive long tail streamers. Habitat and distribution The centre of paradise kingfishers is New Guinea: Several species occur on this 786,000 km2 large island. In addition, there are several island endemisms that occur on islands of the Moluccas and the Louisiade Archipelago. Most paradise kingfishers are resident birds. The buff-breasted paradise kingfisher, which also occurs in the extreme northeast of Australia, moves to New Guinea in the winter half-year. The common paradise kingfisher has the biggest spread among the paradisiacis birds ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ceyx Erithaca
The oriental dwarf kingfisher (''Ceyx erithaca''), also known as the black-backed kingfisher or three-toed kingfisher, is a pocket-sized bird in the family Alcedinidae. This tropical kingfisher is a partial migrant that is endemic across much of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It resides in lowland forests, typically near streams or ponds, where it feeds upon insects, spiders, worms, crabs, fish, frogs, and lizards. This small bird is easily distinguishable from other birds in its range due to its red bill, yellow-orange underparts, lilac-rufous upperparts, and blue-black back. Description The oriental dwarf kingfisher is one of the smallest known kingfisher species. It is only slightly larger than a medium-sized hummingbird and measures 12.5–14 cm in length (including bill and tail). Females typically weigh 14-16g and males 14-21.5g, making the males slightly larger. The two sexes are otherwise alike and sexual dimorphism is not present. Both males and f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Halcyoninae
The tree kingfishers, also called wood kingfishers or Halcyoninae, are the most numerous of the three family (biology), subfamilies of birds in the kingfisher family, with around 70 species divided into 12 genus, genera, including several species of kookaburras. The subfamily appears to have arisen in Indochina and Maritime Southeast Asia and then spread to many areas around the world. Tree kingfishers are widespread through Asia and Australasia, but also appear in Africa and the islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, using a range of habitats from tropical rainforest to open woodlands. The tree kingfishers are short-tailed, large-headed, compact birds with long, pointed bills. Like other Coraciiformes, they are brightly coloured. Most are monogamous and territorial, nesting in holes in trees or termite nests. Both parents incubate the eggs and feed the chicks. Although some tree kingfishers frequent wetlands, none are specialist fish-eaters. Most species dive onto prey from ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cerylinae
The water kingfishers or Cerylinae are one of the three subfamilies of kingfishers, and are also known as the cerylid kingfishers. All six American species are in this subfamily. These are all specialist fish-eating species, unlike many representatives of the other two subfamilies, and it is likely that they are all descended from fish-eating kingfishers which founded populations in the New World. It was believed that the entire group evolved in the Americas, but this seems not to be true. The original ancestor possibly evolved in Africa – at any rate in the Old World – and the ''Chloroceryle'' species are the youngest ones. Phylogeny Evidence from molecular phylogenetic studies suggests that the Cerylinae originated in Asia and have colonised the New World on two occasions: the first time was around 8 million years ago by the ''Chloroceryle'' and the second time was around 1.9 million years ago by the common ancestor of the ringed kingfisher and the belted kingfisher in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alcedininae
The river kingfishers or pygmy kingfishers, subfamily Alcedininae, are one of the three subfamilies of kingfishers. The river kingfishers are widespread through Africa and east and south Asia as far as Australia, with one species, the common kingfisher (''Alcedo atthis'') also appearing in Europe and northern Asia. This group includes many kingfishers that actually dive for fish. The origin of the subfamily is thought to have been in Asia. These are brightly plumaged, compact birds with short tails, large heads, and long bills. They feed on insects or fish, and lay white eggs in a self-excavated burrow. Both adults incubate the eggs and feed the chicks. Taxonomy A molecular phylogenetic study of the river kingfishers published in 2007 found that the genera as then defined did not form monophyletic groups. The species were subsequently rearranged into four monophyletic genera. A clade containing four species were placed in the resurrected genus ''Corythornis'' and five species ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chloroceryle
The American green kingfishers are the kingfisher genus ''Chloroceryle'', which are native to tropical Central and South America, with one species extending north to south Texas. Species There are four species: The American green kingfishers breed by streams in forests or mangroves, nesting in a long horizontal tunnel made in a river bank. They have the typical kingfisher shape, with a short tail and long bill. All are plumaged oily green above, and the underpart colour shows an interesting pattern insofar as the smallest and second largest, American pygmy kingfisher and green-and-rufous kingfisher, have rufous underparts, whereas the largest and second smallest, Amazon kingfisher and green kingfisher, have white underparts with only the males also having a rufous breast band. These birds take crustaceans and fish caught by the usual kingfisher technique of a dive from a perch or brief hover, although the American pygmy kingfisher will hawk at insects in flight. Evolutionary ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ceyx (bird)
''Ceyx'' is an Old World genus of river kingfishers. These kingfishers are found from South East Asia to the Solomon Islands. The genus was introduced by the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède in 1799, and derives its name from the Greek myth of Alcyone and Ceyx. The type species is the oriental dwarf kingfisher (''Ceyx erithaca''). A molecular phylogenetic study of the alcedinine kingfishers published in 2007 found that the genera as then defined did not form monophyletic groups. The species were subsequently rearranged into four monophyletic genera. The little kingfisher, azure kingfisher, Bismarck kingfisher, silvery kingfisher and Indigo-banded kingfisher were moved from ''Alcedo'' to ''Ceyx''. All except one of the birds in the reconstituted genus have three rather than the usual four toes. The exception is the Sulawesi dwarf kingfisher which retains a vestigial fourth toe. The Moluccan dwarf kingfisher (''Ceyx lepidus'') was previous named the variable d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Megaceryle
''Megaceryle'' is a genus of very large kingfishers. They have a wide distribution in the Americas, Africa and southeast Asia. The genus was erected by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup in 1848. The type species is a subspecies of the crested kingfisher, ''Megaceryle lugubris guttulata''. ''Megaceryle'' is from the Ancient Greek ''megas'', "great", and the existing genus '' Ceryle''. Species The genus comprises four species: All are specialist fish-eaters with prominent stiff crests on their heads. They have dark grey or bluish-grey upperparts, largely unmarked in the two American species, but heavily spotted with white in the Asian crested kingfisher and the African giant kingfisher. The underparts may be white or rufous, and all forms have a contrasting breast band except male ringed kingfisher. The underpart pattern is always different for the two sexes of each species. These birds nest in horizontal tunnels made in a river bank or sand bank. Both parents excavate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Melidora
The hook-billed kingfisher (''Melidora macrorrhina'') is a species of kingfisher in the subfamily Halcyoninae that is resident in the lowland forested areas of New Guinea and some of the nearby islands. It is the only member of the genus ''Melidora''. Taxonomy The first Species description, formal description of the hook-billed kingfisher was by the French surgeon and naturalist René Lesson in 1827 under the binomial name ''Dacelo macrorrhina''. The hook-billed kingfisher is now the only species placed within the genus ''Melidora'' which was introduced by Lesson in 1830. The title page has the year 1831. The name of the genus probably comes from the classical Greek ''mēlis'' for "yellow" and ''doru'' for "spear". The specific epithet ''macrorrhina'' is from the classical Greek ''makros'' for "long" and ''rhis'' for "nose". There are three subspecies: * ''M. m. waigiuensis'' Ernst Hartert, Hartert, 1930 – Waigeo, Waigeo Island * ''M. m. macrorrhina'' (Lesson, R, 1827) – west ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Todiramphus
''Todiramphus'' is a genus of kingfishers in the subfamily Halcyoninae. The genus was introduced by the French surgeon and naturalist René Lesson in 1827. The name is often spelt ''Todirhamphus'' (with ''rh''), but ''Todiramphus'' is the original valid spelling. The name literally means "tody-bill"; tody is a relative of the kingfishers with a similar slender long bill, and the Greek ' () means "beak" or "bill". There are around 30 extant species in the genus, but the classification of several Pacific island forms is still unclear. The range of the genus extends from the Red Sea in the west to French Polynesia in the east, with the greatest diversity in Australasia. Members of ''Todiramphus'' are medium-sized kingfishers with flattened beaks. They are typically blue or blue-green above with pale underparts. They often have a pale collar and stripe over the eye. Many species are commonly found well away from water and feed largely on terrestrial animals such as insects and liza ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Syma
''Syma'' is a genus of tree kingfishers in the family Alcedinidae that are resident in New Guinea and northeast Australia. The genus was introduced by the French surgeon and naturalist René Lesson in 1827. ''Syma'' was the name of a sea nymph in Greek mythology. The genus contains two species: The adults of both species have bright yellow bills. The mountain kingfisher is endemic to the mountainous regions of New Guinea. The yellow-billed kingfisher occurs in lowland areas of New Guinea and on the Cape York Peninsula Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth’s last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupación ... in north eastern Australia. References Bird genera Taxa named by René Lesson Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Coraciiformes-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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