Blue-eared Kingfisher
Alcedo meninting
A diminutive dark blue kingfisher with no rufous on the ear-patch. It has an orange spot in front of the eye, white ear tufts on the sides of the neck, and an ultramarine-blue head and neck with darker blue bands giving it a scaly appearance. Upperparts glossy dark blue with paler blue central band down the back to the rump. White chin and throat with deep orange underparts. Males have black bill with brownish-red base, while females have almost entirely red bill. Juvenile also has dark blue upperparts, but has rufous cheeks and ear-coverts similar to Common Kingfisher. Inhabits well-shaded waterways in forested areas.
识别特征
This 16 centimetres (6.3 in) long kingfisher is almost identical to the common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) but is distinguished by the blue ear coverts, darker and more intense cobalt-blue upperparts with richer rufous under parts. The juvenile blue-eared kingfisher has rufous ear-coverts as in the common kingfisher but it usually shows some mottling on the throat and upper breast which disappears when the bird reaches adulthood. Young birds have a reddish bill with whitish tips.
分类信息
The blue-eared kingfisher was described by the American naturalist Thomas Horsfield in 1821 and given its current binomial name Alcedo meninting. The name Alcedo is the Latin word for a "kingfisher". The specific epithet meninting is the Javanese word for the species. The blue-eared kingfisher is one of seven species in the genus Alcedo and is most closely related to Blyth's kingfisher (Alcedo hercules).<p>Several plumage variations in the population that occur across its wide distribution range have been recognized as subspecies:<p>Some other subspecies such as verreauxii, callima, subviridis and proxima are not considered to be sufficiently distinct.
- 学名
- Alcedo meninting
- 命名信息
- Horsfield, 1821
- 目
- Coraciiformes
- 科
- Alcedinidae
- 属
- Alcedo
分布与栖息地
The range of this species stretches from India in the west, eastwards across Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, and further into Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia. The usual habitat is pools or streams in dense evergreen forest and sometimes mangroves, situated under 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) of altitude.
- 迁徙
- Resident species
行为
The blue-eared kingfisher is largely resident within its range. They usually perch on branches overhanging densely shaded streams before diving below to capture prey that includes crustaceans, dragonfly larvae and fish. Other insects including grasshoppers and mantids have been recorded.<p>The breeding season in India is mainly May to June in northern India and January in southwestern India. The nest is a metre long tunnel in the bank of a forest stream where about five to seven white near spherical eggs are laid.
保护状况
- 种群趋势
- declining
照片
分布
鸟叫声
其他鸟类
Hainan Leaf Warbler
Phylloscopus hainanus
Beautifully luminous small leaf warbler restricted to the forests of China’s Hainan Island. Bright yellow all over, though darker wings and crown make paler wingbars and eyebrow visible nonetheless. Fairly distinctive in its limited range; Hartert’s Leaf Warbler also has a yellow cast but is duller overall and much larger, with a much more elongated appearance. Song is a short jumble of squeaky high-pitched notes akin to a machine that needs oiling.
Yellow-throated Bulbul
Pycnonotus xantholaemus
Plain, pale brownish bulbul. Endemic to very specialized habitat in South India. Only found in hills with dry rocky scrub and boulders, co-occurring locally with the more widespread White-browed Bulbul throughout its range. Although both species have a yellow vent and can sound similar, Yellow-throated can be distinguished by its yellow head that contrasts with its whitish underparts. Usually occurring in pairs, it tends to rove along regular circuits, often perching on exposed rocks and boulders. Voice like White-browed’s, but more melodious and higher in pitch.
Red-shouldered Tanager
Tachyphonus phoenicius
Locally-distributed, easily-overlooked tanager. Often in pairs; male is almost entirely black with obscure red-and-white patch at base of wing, most visible in flight; female is gray and brown. Found in savanna scrub on weathered, sandy soils; may also occur along savanna edges and in patches of dry vegetation on rock outcrops in rainforest regions. Usually remains separate from other species, except when congregating at fruit sources. Male is similar to White-lined Tanager but smaller, with less white at shoulder; the two species typically occur in different habitats, and females are quite dissimilar.
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