The Malagasy kingfisher or Madagascar kingfisher (''Corythornis vintsioides'') is a species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

in the family Alcedinidae that is found in

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

Mayotte Mayotte (; french: Mayotte, ; Shimaore: ''Maore'', ; Kibushi: ''Maori'', ), officially the Department of Mayotte (french: Département de Mayotte), is an overseas department and region and single territorial collectivity of France. It is loc ...

and the

Comoros The Comoros,, ' officially the Union of the Comoros,; ar, الاتحاد القمري ' is an independent country made up of three islands in southeastern Africa, located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. It ...

. Its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

is subtropical or tropical mangrove

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

s. The Malagasy kingfisher was formally described by the French naturalists Joseph Eydoux and

Paul Gervais Paul Gervais full name François Louis Paul Gervais (26 September 1816 – 10 February 1879) was a French palaeontologist and entomologist. Biography Gervais was born in Paris, where he obtained the diplomas of doctor of science and of medicine ...

in 1836 and given the

binomial name In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

''Alcedo vintsioides''. It is closely related to the

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 de ...

(''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 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 ki ...

(''Corythornis madagascariensis''). There are two

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

: * ''C. v. johannae'' Meinertzhagen, R., 1924 –

Comoro Islands The Comoro Islands or Comoros ( Shikomori ''Komori''; ar, جزر القمر , ''Juzur al-qamar''; french: Les Comores) form an archipelago of volcanic islands situated off the southeastern coast of Africa, to the east of Mozambique and northw ...

* ''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 black. The sexes are alike. The blue plumage of the race ''C. v. johannae'' is paler and greener than that of the

nominate Nomination is part of the process of selecting a candidate for either election to a public office, or the bestowing of an honor or award. A collection of nominees narrowed from the full list of candidates is a short list. Political office In the ...

Gallery

Image:Alcedo vintsioides.jpg Malagasy Kingfisher - Madagascar S4E7803.jpg

References

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. ...

Birds of the Comoros Birds of Madagascar Birds of Mayotte

Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Coraciiformes-stub

Gallery

See also

References