''Todiramphus'' is a genus of
kingfisher
Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species found in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania ...
s in the subfamily
Halcyoninae.
The genus was introduced by the French surgeon and naturalist
René Lesson in 1827. The name is often spelt ''Todirhamphus'' (with ''rh''), but ''Todiramphus'' is the original valid spelling. The name literally means "tody-bill";
tody is a relative of the kingfishers with a similar slender long bill, and the Greek ' () means "beak" or "bill".
There are around 30 extant species in the genus, but the classification of several Pacific island forms is still unclear.
The range of the genus extends from the
Red Sea
The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; ...
in the west to
French Polynesia
)Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze")
, anthem =
, song_type = Regional anthem
, song = "Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui"
, image_map = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of French ...
in the east, with the greatest diversity in
Australasia
Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecolo ...
.
Members of ''Todiramphus'' are medium-sized kingfishers with flattened beaks. They are typically blue or blue-green above with pale underparts. They often have a pale collar and stripe over the eye. Many species are commonly found well away from water and feed largely on terrestrial animals such as insects and lizards. The nest is built in a cavity, most often in a tree.
Species
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Blue-black kingfisher
The blue-black kingfisher (''Todiramphus nigrocyaneus'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae.A medium-sized kingfisher of mangroves and forested streams in the lowlands. It is found in New Guinea and offshore islands of Salawati, Bata ...
, ''Todiramphus nigrocyaneus''
*
Winchell's kingfisher, ''Todiramphus winchelli''
*
Blue-and-white kingfisher
The blue-and-white kingfisher (''Todiramphus diops'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae.
It is endemic to North Maluku in Indonesia. It can be found on the islands of Morotai, Ngelengele, Halmahera, Damar, Ternate, Tidore, Moti, ...
, ''Todiramphus diops''
*
Lazuli kingfisher
The lazuli kingfisher (''Todiramphus lazuli'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It can be found on the islands of Seram, Ambon and Haruku. . Found singly and in pairs in lowland wooded areas, including cultivated areas and mangrov ...
, ''Todiramphus lazuli''
*
Forest kingfisher
The forest kingfisher (''Todiramphus macleayii''), also known as Macleay's or the blue kingfisher, is a species of kingfisher in the subfamily Halcyoninae, also known as tree kingfishers. It is a predominantly blue and white bird. It is found i ...
, ''Todiramphus macleayii''
*
White-mantled kingfisher
The white-mantled kingfisher or New Britain kingfisher (''Todiramphus albonotatus'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae.
It is endemic to New Britain off Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests. Descr ...
, ''Todiramphus albonotatus''
*
Ultramarine kingfisher, ''Todiramphus leucopygius''
*
Vanuatu kingfisher, ''Todiramphus farquhari''
*
Sombre kingfisher
The sombre kingfisher (''Todiramphus funebris'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to island of Halmahera, in North Maluku, Indonesia.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropica ...
, ''Todiramphus funebris''
*
Collared kingfisher, ''Todiramphus chloris''
*
Torresian kingfisher
The Torresian kingfisher (''Todiramphus sordidus'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is found in southern New Guinea and in Australia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, mangroves, and pla ...
, ''Todiramphus sordidus''
*
Islet kingfisher
The islet kingfisher (''Todiramphus colonus'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae.
Distribution
It is endemic to islands in the Louisiade Archipelago, within Papua New Guinea.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist ...
, ''Todiramphus colonus''
*
Mariana kingfisher
The Mariana kingfisher (''Todiramphus albicilla'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to the Northern Mariana Islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and plantations. It was for ...
, ''Todiramphus albicilla''
*
Melanesian kingfisher
The Melanesian kingfisher (''Todiramphus tristrami'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to the Bismarck Archipelago and the northwest and central Solomon Islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moi ...
, ''Todiramphus tristrami''
*
Pacific kingfisher, ''Todiramphus sacer''
*
Talaud kingfisher, ''Todiramphus enigma''
*
Guam kingfisher, ''Todiramphus cinnamominus''
** †
Ryūkyū kingfisher
The Ryukyu kingfisher (''Todiramphus cinnamominus miyakoensis'') is an enigmatic taxon of tree kingfisher. It is extinct and is only known from a single specimen. Its taxonomic status is doubtful; it is most likely a subspecies of the Guam king ...
, ''Todiramphus (cinnamominus) miyakoensis'' -
extinct (late 19th century)
*
Rusty-capped kingfisher, ''Todiramphus pelewensis''
*
Pohnpei kingfisher
The Pohnpei kingfisher (''Todiramphus reichenbachii'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to Pohnpei.
Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies ...
, ''Todiramphus reichenbachii''
*
Beach kingfisher
The beach kingfisher (''Todiramphus saurophagus'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is found in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical mangrove forests.
Reference ...
, ''Todiramphus saurophagus''
*
Sacred kingfisher
The sacred kingfisher (''Todiramphus sanctus'') is a medium-sized woodland kingfisher that occurs in mangroves, woodlands, forests and river valleys in Australia, New Zealand and other parts of the western Pacific.
Taxonomy
The binomial name ''H ...
, ''Todiramphus sanctus''
*
Flat-billed kingfisher, ''Todiramphus recurvirostris'' - formerly in ''T. sanctus''
*
Cinnamon-banded kingfisher, ''Todiramphus australasia''
*
Chattering kingfisher, ''Todiramphus tutus''
*
Mewing kingfisher
The mewing kingfisher or Mangaia kingfisher (''Todiramphus ruficollaris''), known locally as the tanga‘eo, is a species of bird in the Alcedinidae, or kingfisher family. It is endemic to Mangaia in the Cook Islands. Its natural habitats are ...
, ''Todiramphus ruficollaris'' - formerly in ''T. tutus''
*
Society kingfisher
The Society kingfisher or Tahiti kingfisher (''Todiramphus veneratus'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to the Society Islands of French Polynesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowlan ...
, ''Todiramphus veneratus''
*
Mangareva kingfisher, ''Todiramphus gambieri''
*
Niau kingfisher, ''Todiramphus gertrudae''
*
Marquesan kingfisher, ''Todiramphus godeffroyi''
*
Red-backed kingfisher, ''Todiramphus pyrrhopygius''
* †
Rarotonga kingfisher
Rarotonga is the largest and most populous of the Cook Islands. The island is volcanic, with an area of , and is home to almost 75% of the country's population, with 13,007 of a total population of 17,434. The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings a ...
, ''Todiramphus'' cf. ''tutus'' -
extinct (mid-1980s?)
References
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*
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External links
ITIS Report for ''Todiramphus''
Taxa named by René Lesson
{{Coraciiformes-stub