Collared Kingfisher

Todiramphus chloris

Collared Kingfisher

“ Dive for the one you want just like a kingfisher. ”

– unknown author

Scientific Taxonomy & Character Information

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Coraciiformes

Family: Alcedinidae

Subfamily: Halcyoninae

Genus: Todiramphus

Species: Todiramphus chloris

Descendant: kingfishers

Named by: Pieter Boddaert

Year Published: 1783

Size: 23 to 25 cm (9.1 to 9.8 in) long and the male weighs 51 to 90 g (1.8 to 3.2 oz), while the female weighs 54–100 g (1.9–3.5 oz).

Lifespan: 30 to 35 years

Type: 

Title: 

Pantheon: Terran/Gaian

Time Period: Holocene

Alignment: Shy

Threat Level: ★★

Diet: Carnivorous 🐟🪱🦐🦀

Elements: Water, air

Inflicts: n/a

Weaknesses: Combat, electric, ice

Casualties: n/a

Based On: itself

Conservation Status: Least Concern (LC) – IUCN Red List 

The Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris) is a medium-sized kingfisher belonging to the subfamily Halcyoninae, the tree kingfishers. It is also known as the white-collared kingfisher, black-masked kingfisher, or mangrove kingfisher. It has a wide range, extending from the Red Sea across southern Asia to Polynesia.


It is locally known as salaksak (Tagalog for "tree kingfishers") or kasaykasay (Tagalog for this species).

Etymology

The current genus Todiramphus was introduced by the French surgeon and naturalist René Lesson in 1827. The specific epithet chloris is modern Latin for 'green' or 'greenish'. From the English words king +‎ fisher, due to being king of fishing skills.

Physical Appearance

A medium-sized kingfisher with a wide range of plumage patterns, there are more than 50 subspecies in the world. They all have a white collar, a black mask that extends down as a short band across the hindneck, a white spot above the lores, and a greenish-blue head. White underparts and blue wings and tail are contrasted with greenish-blue upperparts and a brighter blue rump. Female and young people are a little duller. The main difference between subspecies is in their plumage, with upperparts ranging from blue to green to olive-toned, a white loral spot occasionally extending as a supercilium, and occasionally buffier underparts.

Abilities

The collared kingfisher perches almost motionless for long periods, waiting for prey. When it spots something, it glides down to catch it and then flies back to the perch, where larger items are pounded against the branch to subdue them.

Ecology

Small crabs and shrimps are the preferred food in coastal regions, but a wide variety of other animals are eaten, including insects (including beetles, cicadas, stick insects, grasshoppers, moths, and butterflies), spiders, earthworms, snails, frogs, lizards, small snakes, small fish, and sometimes small birds and mice. They will also occupy old woodpecker holes. A clutch of usually two to five rounded, whitish eggs is laid directly on the floor of the burrow, with no nest material used. Both parents take part in incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks. The young birds leave the nest about 44 days after hatching. Two broods are often raised in a year.

Behavior

Kingfishers are generally shy birds, but in spite of this, they feature heavily in human culture, generally due to the large head supporting its powerful mouth, their bright plumage, or some species' interesting behavior.

Conservation

This species is suspected to be declining locally owing to ongoing destruction of mangrove forests for development. Small island populations may also be at risk from habitat loss and natural events.

Distribution and Habitat

There are numerous subspecies in the species’ largely coastal and insular range from the Red Sea to Polynesia.


Tamed

It can become extremely docile and can be fed by hand. It is frequently encountered in urban and suburban areas.

Lore

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Gallery

Foreign Languages

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References