Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Blue-topped jade
- Scientific name: Actenoides hombroni, Blue-capped Kingfisher, Hombron's kingfisher
- Classification: Climbing birds
- Genus and family: Order Coraciiformes, Family Aldehydeidae, Genus Aldehyde
Vital signs data
- Body length: Approximately 27 centimeters
- Weight: 106-147g
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
The feathers on its head resemble a blue-purple hat.
Distribution and Habitat
Blue-capped jade is found in islands across the Pacific Ocean (including Taiwan, the Dongsha Islands, Xisha Islands, Zhongsha Islands, and Nansha Islands of China, as well as the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra and Java in Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea).
Blue-capped kingfishers typically inhabit mountainous areas at altitudes of 1000 to 2000 meters. They usually live in dense tropical rainforests.
Appearance
The Blue-crowned Kingfisher is 27 cm in length, with females weighing 108-124 g and males 106-147 g. Its head feathers resemble a bluish-purple cap, with a blue demarcation line running from the base of the eye to the neck. It has oval-shaped bluish-purple whiskers, and a white throat and chin. The cheeks are reddish-orange. The neck feathers and upper wing are edged with bluish-purple, while the lower wing and scapulae display bluish-green hues with fine mottled black spots. The lower back and tail are bright sky blue, with a cobalt blue tail. The underparts, including the chest, abdomen, and tail, are orange-red. The bill is red with a blackish-brown tip, and the iris is dark brown. The legs are brown and dark olive.
The most obvious sexual dimorphism is in the head. The female's forehead is dark green, and her lores are dark red. Her barbels are orange-red with slight green spots. Juveniles resemble adults, but their plumage is slightly darker.
The beak is thick and long, resembling a chisel, with a relatively wide base, a straight beak ridge, and no nasal grooves on either side; the wings are rounded, with the first primary flight feather being the same length or slightly shorter than the seventh primary flight feather, and the second, third, and fourth primary flight feathers being nearly the same length; the base of the primary flight feathers has white spots; the tail is rounded; and the beak is red.
Detailed introduction
The Blue-capped Kingfisher, scientifically known as Actenoides hombroni, is a bird species endemic to the Philippines.
The Blue-crowned Kingfisher hunts alone or in pairs. Like most forest kingfishers, it is entirely carnivorous, foraging for prey in leaves or soil. Its main diet consists of invertebrates such as crickets, spiders, scorpions, and snails. It also eats small vertebrates such as small fish, snakes, and lizards.
Blue-capped kingfishers nest on earthen cliffs or river embankments, using their beaks to dig tunnel-like burrows, 60 cm deep, 20 cm wide, and 10 cm high, with an oval shape. These burrows are generally unlined. Eggs are laid directly on the ground inside the nest. Some also burrow into tree trunks to make nests. The eggs are nearly round, pure white, and approximately 29.4 × 26.2 mm in size.
Listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver 3.1, 2008).
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