The Marquesan kingfisher or Marquesas kingfisher (''Todiramphus godeffroyi'') is a species of
bird in the family
Alcedinidae. It is
endemic to
French Polynesia
)Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze")
, anthem =
, song_type = Regional anthem
, song = " Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui"
, image_map = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of Frenc ...
. It is threatened by
habitat loss and predation by
introduced species, and is currently classified as
Critically endangered, with fewer than 500 individuals left in the wild.
Description
This unique bird is approximately 22 cm tall with a buff triangle on its upper back. It has completely white
plumage
Plumage ( "feather") is a layer of feathers that covers a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage differ between species and subspecies and may vary with age classes. Within species, ...
on its crown, mantle, forehead, and center upper back along with featuring a blue eye-stripe pattern ending as broken line behind head. It also has a pale blue lower back, rump, tail and wings.
Distribution and habitat
The species occurs only on the
Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia. It inhabits tropical moist lowland forests, where it prefers thick, humid vegetation along mountain streams and valleys. This bird also has been observed in
coconut
The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...
plantations and on dry slopes covered with
mango
A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South a ...
trees.
[
]
Ecology
The species has been reported as nesting in mango trees and decayed hollows of pine trees. Its diet consists of a variety of insects and small vertebrates, mostly lizards.
Conservation
The Marquesan kingfisher is Critically endangered and currently likely numbers less than 500 individuals. The population has rapidly declined in recent decades, and it has become extinct on several smaller islands of the group, being reported only from Tahuata in 2011. Its forest habitat suffers from the presence of introduced species like feral cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and pigs. It is also subject to predation by the introduced great horned owl, the common myna and the black rat
The black rat (''Rattus rattus''), also known as the roof rat, ship rat, or house rat, is a common long-tailed rodent of the stereotypical rat genus ''Rattus'', in the subfamily Murinae. It likely originated in the Indian subcontinent, but is n ...
.[
]
References
Marquesan kingfisher
The Marquesan kingfisher or Marquesas kingfisher (''Todiramphus godeffroyi'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to French Polynesia. It is threatened by habitat loss and predation by introduced species, and is curr ...
Birds of the Marquesas Islands
Marquesan kingfisher
The Marquesan kingfisher or Marquesas kingfisher (''Todiramphus godeffroyi'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to French Polynesia. It is threatened by habitat loss and predation by introduced species, and is curr ...
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
Endemic birds of French Polynesia
{{Coraciiformes-stub