Ruddy Kingfisher
Halcyon coromanda
Dark rusty-orange kingfisher with thick lipstick-red bill. Bright azure blaze on rump most evident on flying birds. Shy and seldom seen in the open, instead preferring heavily shaded waterways in thick, tangled forests. Gives a loud descending rattle on breeding grounds; wintering birds silent.
Identification
Reaching approximately 25 cm, the ruddy kingfisher has a very large, bright red bill and equally red legs. The body is rust red, generally deepening to purple at the tail. There is little sexual dimorphism though some sources report male birds being somewhat brighter in plumage. Due to its preference for heavily forested areas, the kingfisher's high, descending call is more often heard than the bird itself is seen, and these birds generally travel singly or in pairs.
Taxonomy
Halcyon coromanda includes the following subspecies:
- Scientific name
- Halcyon coromanda
- Authority
- (Latham, 1790)
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Alcedinidae
- Genus
- Halcyon
Range and habitat
The ruddy kingfisher ranges from South Korea and Japan in the north, south through the Philippines to the Sunda Islands, and west to China and India. It is migratory, with birds in the northern part of the range migrating as far south as Borneo during winter. Locally common in southern parts of its range, the ruddy kingfisher is rare in Japan, where it is highly sought after by birders. Ruddy kingfishers inhabit forested areas from the temperate to tropical zones, often in thick jungles and rainforests.<p>The binomial name recalls the Coromandel Coast of India.
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Migration pattern: Complete migrants.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Large, odd-looking, charismatic terrestrial species with a small head, long legs, and almost no tail. Body is mostly black, with wing colors varying geographically from green in the west to black in the east. Usually seen in areas of well-protected humid forest and often encountered in noisy groups; usually runs away when discovered. May attend ant-swarms. Song is a loud hum, and calls when agitated are angry, cackling “tset” notes.
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