Vanuatu Kingfisher
Todiramphus farquhari
A beautiful, boldly contrasting kingfisher with a blue head, a big black eye-mask, a white throat and neck, vibrant blue upperparts, and bright ginger underparts. Prefers undisturbed lowland forest. Often shy, sitting motionless in the canopy. Bright orange underparts separate it from other local kingfishers. Very vocal, giving a long series of chirping notes rising in pitch and speed.
Identification
The Vanuatu kingfisher or chestnut-bellied kingfisher (Todiramphus farquhari) is a medium-sized kingfisher found only on the islands of Espiritu Santo, Malo and Malakula in Vanuatu. It is dark blue above with richly coloured orange underparts. There is a white spot in front of the eye and a broad black band on the side of the head. It has a white throat and collar. It measures 19–21 cm (7.5–8.3 in) in length and weighs 32–42 grams (1.1–1.5 oz). Its call is a series of loud, shrill, piping notes. The only other kingfisher in Vanuatu is the Pacific kingfisher, which has paler blue-green upperparts, whiter underparts and a buff stripe above the eye. The Vanuatu kingfisher mainly eats insects, especially beetles, and will also take spiders and small lizards. It usually hunts by perching on a branch and waiting for prey to appear. When it spots something it flies into the air or dives down to the ground or a tree trunk to catch it. The nest is sometimes built in a hole in a palm tree or tree fern, but usually a pair will excavate a burrow in a termite mound in a tree. They dig with their large bill and clear out material with their feet. After about fifteen days the burrow is completed and the termites seal off their sections. Three or four white eggs are laid. The breeding season is mostly from November to February with eggs laid in December. The birds mainly inhabit dense rainforests in the interior of the islands, particularly above 200 m (660 ft). They are believed to be declining due to loss and degradation of the forest.
Taxonomy
Genus: Todiramphus; Family: Alcedinidae; Order: Coraciiformes.
- Scientific name
- Todiramphus farquhari
- Authority
- (Sharpe, 1899)
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Alcedinidae
- Genus
- Todiramphus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
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Carpodacus rubicilla
As the name suggests, a large rosefinch. Male is bright pink with a dark face and frosty specks on the underparts. Female is streaky brown all over. Very similar to Streaked Rosefinch; look out for unstreaked upperparts in the male and softer, larger white spots on the underparts. Prefers more sparsely vegetated areas at higher elevations than Streaked Rosefinch, favoring alpine and subalpine scree slopes, boulder fields, and other open and barren environments; descends into similar habitat in the winter. Gives various chips, cheeps, and wheezy notes.
Sri Lanka Junglefowl
Gallus lafayettii
Wild chickenlike bird. Male is burnt orange with dark streaks, cockerel-like glossy black tail, and a prominent red comb marked with yellow on the crown. Gray-brown female has white streaks and prominent barring on its wings. Terrestrial, found in pairs or small groups in forests of lowlands and highlands over much of Sri Lanka. Generally keeps to cover. Only confusion is with domestic chicken; note lack of white at tail base, and yellow marking on comb of males, and bars in wings of females in Sri Lanka Junglefowl. Song a harsh “chyok-cher-chow”. Also stuttering “kik-kik-kik-kik” notes.
Gray-sided Flowerpecker
Dicaeum celebicum
A tiny, stubby, plump dark songbird with a bold red throat in males. Female is nondescript, all gray with a clean white throat. Juveniles resemble female but have a pale-based bill and a green-washed breast. Singles and pairs can be found in lowlands and foothills in a variety of habitats, including forest, forest edge, scrub, and gardens. Male can be separated from male Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker by red throat and lack of red crown. Female Gray-sided differs from female Crimson-crowned in absence of red rump. Song is a thin, high-pitched “see-se-sooo.” Also gives a buzzy “tzjit” note.
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