Javan Blue-banded Kingfisher
Alcedo euryzona
Very rare, small kingfisher of forested streams and rivers up to the lower mountains. Highly threatened and found at very few remaining sites. Both sexes have silver-blue back and tail, white throat and broad, blue-green breastband. Male has white belly and all-black bill, female has an all-orange belly and red base to lower bill. Distinguished from Common Kingfisher by overall duller, darker coloration and lack of an orange patch behind the eye. Usually higher up than Blue-eared Kingfisher and lacks the bright blue color. Gives a piercing call similar to that of Common Kingfisher.
Taxonomy
The first formal description of the Javan blue-banded kingfisher was by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1830. In his initial publication the binomial name was incorrectly printed as Alcedo cryzona but this was later corrected to Alcedo euryzona. The specific epithet euryzona is from the classical Greek eurus meaning "broad" and zōnē meaning "band" or "belt".
- Scientific name
- Alcedo euryzona
- Authority
- Temminck, 1830
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Alcedinidae
- Genus
- Alcedo
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatus
Adorable, active little bird with a minute stubby bill. Distinctive: tiny and fluffy with attractive pinkish, black, and white plumage and very long tail. Some plumage variation across range; adults in northern parts of range have white head without broad black eyebrows and whiter underparts, while those further south are darker. Juveniles (seen in summer–early autumn) have brown head sides; become like adult by winter. Often travels in groups, at times joining with flocks of other tits and small woodland birds. High-pitched, fussy calls add to restless demeanor. Inhabits wooded and forested habitats, parks, gardens, and hedges in farmland; sometimes visits bird feeders.
Fulvous Wren
Cinnycerthia fulva
Reddish-brown wren with a faint pale eyebrow found in the understory of humid montane forest. Larger and longer-tailed than the tiny Mountain Wren, which also has a bolder eyebrow. Replaced at the northern end of its range by the very similar Peruvian Wren. Forages singly or in pairs low in bushes and near the ground. Listen for its loud song, a flowing series of whistles and trills.
Brown-tailed Chat
Oenanthe scotocerca
A remarkably drab brown bird with slightly paler underparts. Key features include the dark brown tail and the pale, unmarked undertail coverts. Found very locally in rocky areas with bushes and trees. Perches up in trees, but feeds on the ground. Very similar to Sombre Rock Chat, and best distinguished by the pale and unmarked undertail. Also very similar to Blackstart, but has a dark brown rather than black tail. The calls are sparrow-like chirps, and the song is a high-pitched warbling reminiscent of Yellow-bellied Eremomela’s song.
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