Moluccan Dwarf-Kingfisher
Ceyx lepidus
A small kingfisher with a bright orange bill, peach underparts, a speckled blue head, and deep blue upperparts with an electric blue stripe running down them. Also note the white neck mark and the orange blotches above the bill. Juveniles darker above, with dark base to bill. Found singly or in pairs in forest understorey within the lowlands and foothills, sometimes beside forest streams. Differentiated from Common and Azure Kingfishers by its smaller size and orange bill. Gives a shrill, single drawn-out “tseeeeet” call.
Identification
Ceyx lepidus can reach a body length of about 14 cm (5.5 in). These small birds show a brilliant blue-black basic color. Juveniles show a slightly less blue color than adults. In adult the forehead is marked with an orange spot surrounded by black. A white triangle is present on the side of the neck. The throat is usually white or yellowish-white, The bill is orange-red and the eyes are dark brown. The entire underside is bright orange. The end of the tail is black. The yellow-orange legs consist of only three toes (tridactyl feet). The appearance is similar in males and females.
Taxonomy
This species was previous named the variable dwarf kingfisher and had 15 recognised subspecies. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2013 found that most of the taxa had substantially diverged from each other. The species was therefore split and 12 of the subspecies were promoted to species status. At the same time the name was changed to the Moluccan dwarf kingfisher. Some taxonomic authorities further split this species into the Seram dwarf kingfisher, and refer to the other group as the North Moluccan dwarf kingfisher. The Seram dwarf kingfisher is then limited to the southern Moluccas.
- Scientific name
- Ceyx lepidus
- Authority
- Temminck, 1836
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Alcedinidae
- Genus
- Ceyx
Range and habitat
This species is endemic to the Moluccas. It is a sylvan species. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, shrubland, wetlands, abandoned plantations and dense vegetation along streams.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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