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River Kingfisher
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 spe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common Kingfisher
The common kingfisher (''Alcedo atthis''), also known as the Eurasian kingfisher and river kingfisher, is a small kingfisher with seven subspecies recognized within its wide distribution across Eurasia and North Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but migrates from areas where rivers freeze in winter. This sparrow-sized bird has the typical short-tailed, large-headed kingfisher profile; it has blue upperparts, orange underparts and a long bill. It feeds mainly on fish, caught by diving, and has special visual adaptations to enable it to see prey under water. The glossy white eggs are laid in a nest at the end of a burrow in a riverbank. Taxonomy The common kingfisher was first described by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his ''Systema Naturae'' in 1758 as ''Gracula atthis''. The modern binomial name derives from the Latin ', 'kingfisher' (from Greek , '), and ''Atthis'', a beautiful young woman of Lesbos, and favourite of Sappho. The genus ''Alcedo'' comprises ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Little Kingfisher
The little kingfisher (''Ceyx pusillus'') is a species of kingfisher in the subfamily Alcedininae. Taxonomy The first formal description of the little kingfisher was by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1836 under the current binomial name ''Ceyx pusilla''. The generic name ''Ceyx'' () derives from grc, Κήϋξ, Kēüx, a mythological seabird that was drowned at sea and then found washed ashore by his wife Alcyone, after which both were metamorphosed into kingfishers. The specific epithet ''pusillus'' is the Latin for 'tiny' or 'very small'. There are nine recognised subspecies of the little kingfisher (see box at right). The nominate subspecies ''Ceyx pusillus pusillus'' is found in Aru Island and Kai Island of Indonesia, southern New Guinea, the Torres Strait Islands, and possibly the tip of Cape York in Queensland.Morcombe, Michael (2012) Field Guide to Australian Birds. Pascal Press, Glebe, NSW. Revised edition. The subspecies ''C. p. ramsayi'' is found in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Malagasy Kingfisher
The Malagasy kingfisher or Madagascar kingfisher (''Corythornis vintsioides'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae that is found in Madagascar, Mayotte and the Comoros. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical mangrove forests. The Malagasy kingfisher was formally described by the French naturalists Joseph Eydoux and Paul Gervais in 1836 and given the binomial name ''Alcedo vintsioides''. It is closely related to the malachite kingfisher (''Corythornis cristatus'') which is widely distributed in mainland Africa. It is one of only two kingfishers that occur in Madagascar. The other is the Madagascar pygmy kingfisher (''Corythornis madagascariensis''). There are two subspecies: * ''C. v. johannae'' Meinertzhagen, R., 1924 – Comoro Islands * ''C. v. vintsioides'' (Eydoux & Gervais, 1836) – Madagascar The Malagasy kingfisher is in length with a weight of . It has dark blue upperparts, rufous underparts and a crested blue-and-green-barred crown. The bill is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Malachite Kingfisher
The malachite kingfisher (''Corythornis cristatus'') is a river kingfisher which is widely distributed in Africa south of the Sahara. It is largely resident except for seasonal climate-related movements. Taxonomy The malachite kingfisher was described by the German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas in 1764 and given the binomial name ''Alcedo cristata''. The specific epithet ''cristata'' is from the Latin ''cristatus'' meaning "crested" or "plumed". The adjective "malachite" in the vernacular name normally refers to the dark green colour of the copper containing mineral. This kingfisher has blue upperparts but has black banding with pale blue or greenish-blue on its forehead. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2007 confirmed that the most closely related species is the Malagasy kingfisher, (''Corythornis vintsioides''). The Malagasy kingfisher has a black bill and greenish crest, and is not quite as dependent on water as the African species. It is otherwise similar in pluma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
White-bellied Kingfisher
The white-bellied kingfisher (''Corythornis leucogaster'') is a species of kingfisher in the subfamily Alcedininae that occurs in parts of equatorial west Africa. The first formal description of the species was by the British zoologist Louis Fraser in 1843 under the binomial name ''Halcyon leucogaster''. There are three subspecies: * ''C. l. bowdleri'' ( Neumann, 1908) – Guinea to Mali and Ghana * ''C. l. leucogaster'' (Fraser, 1843) – Nigeria to north west Angola, Bioko Island * ''C. l. leopoldi'' ( Dubois, AJC, 1905) – east Congo to south Uganda and northwest Zambia The white-bellied kingfisher is in length with a weight of around . It has ultramarine upperparts and a red bill. The underparts are rufous-chestnut apart from a central white band. The sexes are alike. References white-bellied kingfisher Birds of the African tropical rainforest Birds of the Gulf of Guinea white-bellied kingfisher white-bellied kingfisher The white-bellied kingfisher (''Corythorn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
African Pygmy Kingfisher
The African pygmy kingfisher (''Ispidina picta'') is a small insectivorous kingfisher found in the Afrotropics, mostly in woodland habitats. Taxonomy The African pygmy kingfisher was described by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon in 1780 in his ''Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux''. The bird was also illustrated in a hand-coloured plate engraved by François-Nicolas Martinet in the ''Planches Enluminées D'Histoire Naturelle'' which was produced under the supervision of Edme-Louis Daubenton to accompany Buffon's text. Neither the plate caption nor Buffon's description included a scientific name but in 1783 the Dutch naturalist Pieter Boddaert coined the binomial name ''Todier de Juida'' in his catalogue of the ''Planches Enluminées''. The type locality is Saint Louis, Senegal. The African pygmy kingfisher is now placed in the genus '' Ispidina'' that was introduced by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup in 1848. The specific epithet ''picta'' is fro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Malachite Kingfisher
The malachite kingfisher (''Corythornis cristatus'') is a river kingfisher which is widely distributed in Africa south of the Sahara. It is largely resident except for seasonal climate-related movements. Taxonomy The malachite kingfisher was described by the German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas in 1764 and given the binomial name ''Alcedo cristata''. The specific epithet ''cristata'' is from the Latin ''cristatus'' meaning "crested" or "plumed". The adjective "malachite" in the vernacular name normally refers to the dark green colour of the copper containing mineral. This kingfisher has blue upperparts but has black banding with pale blue or greenish-blue on its forehead. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2007 confirmed that the most closely related species is the Malagasy kingfisher, (''Corythornis vintsioides''). The Malagasy kingfisher has a black bill and greenish crest, and is not quite as dependent on water as the African species. It is otherwise similar in pluma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher
The Madagascar pygmy kingfisher (''Corythornis madagascariensis'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to Madagascar and found in western dry deciduous forests. The first formal description of the Madagascan pygmy kingfisher was by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the twelfth edition of his ''Systema Naturae'' under the binomial name ''Alcedo madagascariensis''. Although it has been placed in the genera ''Ceyx'' and ''Ispidina'' in the past, a study of its molecular phylogenetic relationships with other genera in the region suggests it is best treated as a member of the genus ''Corythornis''. References Madagascar pygmy kingfisher Endemic birds of Madagascar Madagascar pygmy kingfisher Madagascar pygmy kingfisher The Madagascar pygmy kingfisher (''Corythornis madagascariensis'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to Madagascar and found in western dry deciduous forests. The first formal descri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispecific" or "monospecific" is sometimes preferred. In botanical nomenclature, a monotypic genus is a genus in the special case where a genus and a single species are simultaneously described. In contrast, an oligotypic taxon contains more than one but only a very few subordinate taxa. Examples Just as the term ''monotypic'' is used to describe a taxon including only one subdivision, the contained taxon can also be referred to as monotypic within the higher-level taxon, e.g. a genus monotypic within a family. Some examples of monotypic groups are: Plants * In the order Amborellales, there is only one family, Amborellaceae and there is only one genus, '' Amborella'', and in this genus there is only one species, namely ''Amborella trichopoda. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
African Dwarf Kingfisher
''This article discusses the African dwarf kingfisher, which is distinct from the Oriental dwarf kingfisher.'' The African dwarf kingfisher (''Ispidina lecontei'') is a species of kingfisher in the Alcedininae subfamily. Taxonomy The African dwarf kingfisher was described in 1856 by the American ornithologist John Cassin from a specimen collected by Paul Du Chaillu. Cassin introduced the current binomial name ''Ispidina lecontei''. The specific epithet was chosen in honour of the entomologist John Lawrence LeConte. There are two subspecies: * ''I. l. ruficeps'' Hartlaub, 1857 – Sierra Leone to Ghana, west of the Dahomey gap in the rainforest. * ''I. l. lecontei'' Cassin, 1856 – south Nigeria to west South Sudan, Uganda and central Democratic Republic of the Congo; central Angola. Description This is the world's smallest kingfisher with a length of and a weight of . Distribution It inhabits African rainforests and is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, R ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfisher
The Sulawesi dwarf kingfisher (''Ceyx fallax'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae that is endemic to Sulawesi island, Indonesia. The species has numerous common names such as Celebes forest kingfisher, blue-crowned kingfisher, Celebes dwarf-kingfisher, and Celebes pygmy-kingfisher. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is threatened by habitat loss. Subspecies The species carry 2 subspecies; ''Ceyx fallax fallax'' can be found in Sulawesi, and offshore of the Lembeh Island, while ''Ceyx fallax sangirensis'' is native to Sangihe and Talaud Islands The Talaud Islands (Indonesian language, Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Talaud'') also spelled Talaur or Talaut, are a group of islands situated about 225 miles (360 km) northeast of Sulawesi, in Indonesia, north-east of the Sangihe Islands. The Ta .... Clements and the IUCN have split this species into the Sulawesi dwarf kingfisher and the Sangihe dwarf kingfisher, ''Ceyx sangirensis''. Re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indigo-banded Kingfisher
The Indigo-banded kingfisher (''Ceyx cyanopectus'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to the Philippines, where it is generally uncommon but locally widespread in the northern and central islands. Taxonomy There are two subspecies, the nominate race: ''C. c. cyanopectus'', which occurs on Luzon, Polillo Islands, Polillo, Mindoro, Sibuyan Island, Sibuyan and Ticao Island, Ticao, and ''C. c. nigriostris'', which is found on Panay, Negros Island, Negros and Cebu, though possibly extinct on Cebu.del Hoyo, J., P. F. Woodall, G. M. Kirwan, and N. Collar (2020). Indigo-banded Kingfisher (Ceyx cyanopectus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, B. K. Keeney, P. G. Rodewald, and T. S. Schulenberg, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.inbkin2.01 It forms a superspecies with the southern silvery kingfisher of the southern Philippines. Diet The indigo-banded kingfisher feeds on fish and aquatic insects. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
