The brown-breasted kingfisher (''Halcyon gularis'') is a

tree kingfisher The tree kingfishers, also called wood kingfishers or Halcyoninae, are the most numerous of the three family (biology), subfamilies of birds in the kingfisher family, with around 70 species divided into 12 genus, genera, including several specie ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

, where it is widely distributed. This

kingfisher Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species living in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, ...

is a resident over much of its range.

Description and taxonomy

Ebird describes it as "A fairly large kingfisher of lowland and foothill open country and forest edge. Chocolate brown on the underparts and hood, down to the upper back. Back, tail, and wings bright blue, with large black shoulder patches, small black wingtips, a white throat, and a bright red legs. Somewhat similar to Stork-billed Kingfisher, but Brown-breasted has chocolate brown rather than orange underparts. Song is a rapid, descending series of a dozen or so sharp notes, trailing off in volume." It was previously considered a subspecies of the

white-throated kingfisher The white-throated kingfisher (''Halcyon smyrnensis'') also known as the white-breasted kingfisher is a tree kingfisher, widely distributed in Asia from the Sinai east through the Indian subcontinent to China and Indonesia. This kingfisher is a ...

(''H. smyrnensis''), but was split as a distinct species by the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological ...

and

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding i ...

in 2014, and the

International Ornithological Congress International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

followed suit in 2022. It is differentiated by its plummage white a smaller extent of white which is restricted to the chin versus the White-throated kingfishers which white spot includes the breast, a larger white wingpatch, more black on the wings and a shorter tail. This species is monotypic.

Ecology and behavior

Feeds on insects, reptiles, amphibians, fish, small birds and mammals and even the occasional bat. Typically perches 5 to 10 meters above its hunting area and swoops down to its prey. Season is around April to May where it typically nests in termite mounds and lays 2 to 4 eggs.

Habitat and conservation status

Has a wide range of habitats that include clearings, fishponds, rivers, second growth scrubland, and forest edge. Typically found below 1,000 meters above sea level. The

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

has yet to classify this species as separate from White-throated kingfisher. This species is common all throughout and has well adapted and even benefited fromohuman modified habitats. While the Philippines has faced massive

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...

, this species adaptability has allowed it to survive and even thrive better than most Philippine birds.

References

*Collar 2011b; Allen 2020; HBW/Birdlife *Gill F, D Donsker & P Rasmussen (Eds). 2022. IOC World Bird List (v12.1). doi : 10.14344/IOC.ML.12.1. {{Taxonbar, from=Q10764826 brown-breasted kingfisher Endemic birds of the Philippines brown-breasted kingfisher brown-breasted kingfisher