Sacred Kingfisher
Todiramphus sanctus(2 photos)
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Sacred Kingfisher
20-23 cm. Male: crown dark blue-green, with short, wedge-shaped buff eyebrow; mask black; wings/tail peacock blue; back green; collar/underparts variably buff-white. Female: greener above, collar/underparts whiter. Juvenile: duller with buff feather margins. Singles, pairs, migratory parties: perches in trees, wires, posts, stumps; darts down to seize large insects, small reptiles. Flight swift, direct, showing warm buff wing linings. Noisy when breeding.
- Similar Species
- Forest Kingfisher: in flight, white wing spot. Collared Kingfisher.
- Voice
- high-pitched 'dek dek dek dek' usually of 4-5 notes, oft repeated; peevish, rising 'keer keer keer'; harsh scoldings; rising musical trill.
- Habitat
- open forests/woodlands; margins of rivers, lakes; seashores, mangroves, mudflats, islands, golf courses, parks, garden ponds.
- Breeding
- Sept.-March.
- Eggs
- 3-4; white, rounded; on debris in tree hollow, tree termite nest; tunnel in bank.
- Range & Status
- resident n. Aust.; regular spring-summer breeding migrant (Sept.-April) to coastal/sub-coastal s. Aust., from n. of Brisbane (Q) to sw. WA; casual Bass Strait islands, Tas. Also Norfolk, Lord Howe Is. Winters inland and n. coastal Aust., PNG, Indonesia. Also resident Indonesia, PNG, Solomon Is., New Cal., NZ.
- Distribution key to races
- 1. Todiramphus sanctus sanctus 2. Todiramphus sanctus vagans (Lord Howe I.) 3. Todiramphus sanctus norfolkiensis (Norfolk I.)
