Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Spotted jade
- Scientific name: Actenoides princeps, Scaly-breasted kingfisher
- Classification: Climbing birds
- Genus and family: Order Coraciiformes, Family Aldehydeidae, Genus Aldehyde
Vital signs data
- Body length: No verification information available.
- Weight: No verification information available.
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
Distribution and Habitat
Distributed in the Wallace region (referring to the area east of the traditional Wallace Line (from the eastern waters of Mindanao through the Makassar Strait to the area between Bali and Lombok) and west of Papua New Guinea, including the islands of Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara, Southwest Islands, Moluccas (Maluku Islands), and East Timor in Indonesia).
They typically inhabit dense forests and riverbanks near water.
Appearance
The Spotted Kingfisher is a forest kingfisher that lives in the Sulawesi Islands and surrounding islands of Indonesia. Its plumage is predominantly dark, with a dark grey back and wings, and grey and white horizontal stripes on its underparts (chest and abdomen). Its beak is deep yellow with black streaks, and its wings have golden-yellow edges. It also has a relatively prominent white collar.
The beak is thick and long, resembling a chisel, with a relatively wide base, a straight beak peak, a rounded ridge, and no nasal grooves on either side; the wings are rounded, with the first primary flight feather being the same length as 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.
Detailed introduction
The scaly-breasted kingfisher, scientifically known as Actenoides princeps, has three subspecies.
The spotted kingfisher typically hunts alone or in pairs, and is entirely carnivorous. It usually searches 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, small snakes, and lizards.
The spotted kingfisher nests on earthen cliffs or river embankments, using its beak to dig tunnel-like burrows, about 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 kingfishers 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 Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver 3.1, 2008).
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