Brown-headed Paradise-Kingfisher
Tanysiptera danae
A long-tailed kingfisher of lowland and foothill forest. Brown head and back, orange underparts and rump, deep blue shoulder and long tail with narrow white tips. Sits quietly in the mid-story, occasionally pumping the tail and flicking it right up when startled. Similar to Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher, but Brown-headed has a brown rather than black and blue head and lacks the white stripe down the back. Song, a rising and falling (or just falling) and accelerating series of notes ending in a trill “weeep weep wewewewweewe……..”
Identification
The brown-headed kingfisher is 23 cm (9.1 in) in length excluding the streamers which are up to 9 cm (3.5 in). They weigh between 37 and 50 grams. The sexes are alike. The head, mantle and scapulars are a warm rufous-brown. The rump, breast and belly are pink-red. The flight feathers are black and the greater coverts are bright blue. The tail is dark purplish blue, the bill is red and the legs and feet are pink or orange.
Taxonomy
The first formal description of the brown-headed paradise kingfisher was by the English ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe in 1880 from specimens collected near Milne Bay in southeastern New Guinea. He coined the current binomial name Tanysiptera danae. The genus Tanysiptera had been introduced by the Irish zoologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors in 1825. The name Tanysiptera is from classical Greek tanusipteros meaning "long-feathered". The specific epithet danae is from Greek mythology; Danaë was the daughter of Acrisius, King of Argos. The species is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Tanysiptera danae
- Authority
- Sharpe, 1880
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Alcedinidae
- Genus
- Tanysiptera
Range and habitat
The brown-headed paradise kingfisher is distributed in deep forest areas in the far east of New Guinea. It mainly inhabits the forests of foothills and occurs mainly in dense primary forests. Its altitude ranges from 300 to 1000 vertical metres. The common paradise kingfisher also occurs in its distribution area. Usually the brown-headed paradise kingfisher is represented at higher altitudes than the common paradise kingfisher. However, in the region around Popondetta, the capital of the province Oro of Papua New Guinea in the southeast of the island, both species occur at altitudes of 150 meters. The brown-headed paradise kingfisher is to be observed here even more frequently than the common paradise kingfisher.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Little Eagle
Hieraaetus morphnoides
Small, stocky eagle often mistaken for a kite. Both light and dark morphs occur in varying frequencies throughout its extensive range. In flight note diagnostic black wingtips and tail barring. Easily confused with Whistling Kite, but Little Eagle has shorter tail and dark leading edge to the wings. Can raise feathers on the back of the head to form a small black crest. Usually solitary.
Jungle Nightjar
Caprimulgus indicus
Gray-brown nightjar of wooded, open grassy, and scrubby areas; not restricted to jungles. Intricately patterned, with a golden patch behind the ear (often not visible on a resting bird) and pale tan spots on the wings. Male shows bright white patches near the wingtips and on the edges of the tail that are buffy-brown in females. Similar Savanna Nightjar is much more densely patterned and lacks the tan wing spots; Savanna also tends to roost on the ground, versus in trees for Jungle Nightjar. Song is utterly alien-sounding and unique: a long series of bouncing “pooKIHpooKIHpooKIH” notes, comparable to a cartoon laser gun.
Bolivian Blackbird
Oreopsar bolivianus
Large, brown-winged blackbird of dry valleys in the high Andes of central and northern Bolivia. Prefers sparsely vegetated areas, such as Polylepis woodland, agricultural areas, towns, cactus forest, and scrublands. Brown wings are distinctive, but note that second-year blackbirds of other species (Chopi Blackbird, Shiny Cowbird) can show contrastingly brown retained juvenile wing feathers. Generally forages singly or in small groups, and sings from exposed perches. Song a simple, repeated two-part “pe-chew” given 3-8 times.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.