Spotted Kingfisher
Actenoides lindsayi
A striking medium-sized kingfisher of lowland and foothill forest. Whitish below with dark scaling and dark green above with buff spotting. Bill bicolored, black above and orange below. Note the broad black band through the eye, reaching the back of the head, and the green crown and rump. Male has a full rufous collar, throat, and band below the eye, as well as a bright blue moustache and band behind the eye that are green in the female. Unmistakable in its range. Song, given at dawn, consists of a single downslurred whistle, “wee-ooo,” repeated every few seconds.
Identification
The spotted wood kingfisher is a colourful bird that can readily be distinguished from other kingfishers in the Philippines. It is about 26 cm (10 in) long with spotting above and scalloping beneath. The male has a dark green crown with black spots and a light green stripe above a pale blue supercilium with a black band beneath. A blue moustache is bordered above and below by an orange-brown band and collar. The upper parts are dark green, each feather being tipped with buff giving a spotted effect. The rump is bright green and the tail dark green with brown bars on the outer feathers. The throat is orange-brown and the underparts are mainly white, the breast feathers having green margins. The under-wing coverts are buff. The upper mandible of the bill is black and the lower mandible yellow, the iris is brown and the legs pale green.<p>The female is similar in appearance but less brightly coloured, the supercilium is green rather than blue, the moustache brownish-green, the hind-neck collar brownish-black and the throat the same colour as the breast. The juvenile resembles the female but has a generally duller colouration.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Actenoides lindsayi
- Authority
- (Vigors, 1831)
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Alcedinidae
- Genus
- Actenoides
Range and habitat
The spotted wood kingfisher is endemic to the Philippines where it is present on Luzon, Catanduanes, Marinduque, Negros and Panay. It inhabits moist primary forest in both lowland and hilly areas. It was more abundant on Luzon in the past but logging has reduced the area of suitable habitat.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The spotted wood kingfisher occurs in pairs or as a solitary bird but is seldom seen because it moves around in dense cover in the lower storey of the forest. It feeds on beetles and other insects, snails and small vertebrates which it probably finds while foraging on the ground. Little is known of its breeding behaviour; it is thought to nest in termite nests in trees, but this may not be the case because other members of the genus mostly choose to nest in holes in trees or in the ground.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
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Little-known swift found mostly in mountainous areas, though flocks occasionally venture into lowlands. All dark with short square tail and angular wings. Namesake white spots on forehead and behind eyes are distinctive, but these can be extremely difficult to see. Many swifts are best left unidentified. Sex and age variation not well known; some birds, maybe juveniles, can show whitish scaling on belly. Occasionally seen singly or mixed with flocks of other swifts, but most often in monotypic flocks of up to several dozen individuals. Voice can be helpful with practice; typically a staccato chatter followed by “pew pew pew” notes like a laser gun.
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The male is a flying gem of iridescent colors. The female is all gray with a black tail. The bill is long and downcurved, adapted to extract nectar from flowers. Normally found on flowering trees and bushes; often hovering. Favors urban and suburban gardens, but also natural habitats including arid zones, where it can be locally abundant. The male gives a beautiful series of musical whistles with local dialect variations.
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