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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] |
Megaceryle Alcyon Femelle
''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] |
Belted Kingfisher
The belted kingfisher (''Megaceryle alcyon'') is a large, conspicuous water kingfisher, native to North America. All kingfishers were formerly placed in one family, Alcedinidae, but recent research suggests that this should be divided into three subfamilies. Taxonomy The first formal description of the belted kingfisher was by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his '' Systema Naturae''. He introduced the binomial name ''Alcedo alcyon''. The current genus ''Megaceryle'' was erected by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup in 1848. ''Megaceryle'' is from the Ancient Greek ''megas'', "great", and the existing genus '' Ceryle''. The specific ''alcyon'' is Latin for "kingfisher". The ''Megaceryle'' large green kingfishers were formerly placed in ''Ceryle'' with the pied kingfisher, but the latter is closer to the ''Chloroceryle'' American green kingfishers. The belted kingfisher's closest living relative is the ringed kingfisher (''M. torqua ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ringed Kingfisher
The ringed kingfisher (''Megaceryle torquata'') is a large, conspicuous and noisy kingfisher bird commonly found along the lower Rio Grande valley in southeasternmost Texas in the United States through Central America to Tierra del Fuego in South America. Description The ringed kingfisher (''Megaceryle torquata'') is a Neotropical kingfisher that lives in habitats ranging between the US and Mexico. In 1888, the species was first discovered in the US, while the first ringed kingfisher nest was found in 1970. They are commonly seen along the Rio Grande and in water bodies in southern Texas. Their distribution is increasing and expanding upwards. Measurement The wings of adult males range between , which on average measures . Their tail range between , and the bill measures . Female wings range 185.0-210.1 mm, as the tail measures and possess a bill measuring . Individuals can weigh between . Such measurements prove that the species do not differ sexually in terms of si ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
