Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Blue Kingfisher
- Scientific name: Alcedo quadribrachys, Shining-blue Kingfisher
- Classification: Climbing birds
- Classification and genus: Order Coraciiformes, Family Kingfisher, Genus Kingfisher
Vital signs data
- Body length: Approximately 16 centimeters
- Weight: 32-40g
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
Adult birds have chrysanthemum-yellow lores.
Distribution and Habitat
The blue kingfisher is found in south-central Africa (including the southern Arabian Peninsula and the entire African continent south of the Sahara Desert (Tropic of Cancer)).
The blue kingfisher typically inhabits the shade of foliage, as well as rivers, ponds, and lakes. It is also found in coastal areas, lagoons, estuaries, mangroves, reed beds, marshes, reservoirs of various sizes, streams, rivers, grasslands, and farmland.
Appearance
The Blue-crowned Kingfisher is 16 cm in length, with males weighing 33-36 g and females 32-40 g. Adults have chrysanthemum-yellow lores. The neck has an orange patch, the chin and throat are cream-colored, and the rest of the head is covered in glossy black and blue feathers. The upperparts are deep turquoise-blue, with wing feathers very similar in color to the head. Longitudinal stripes shimmer with a bright blue-purple hue. The underwings and belly are reddish-brown. The iris is dark brown, and the legs are reddish-orange.
The female and male birds are very similar. The only distinguishing feature is the small red marking on the base of the beak and jawbone. Juveniles differ from adults; their breasts are light orange, and their wing feathers are fully developed into a deep blue. Their body feathers are pale blue, and their beaks are whitish. Their legs are also different, being light pink.
The beak is thick, straight, long, and strong, with a rounded ridge; the nasal groove is indistinct; the wingtips are long, with the first primary flight feather slightly shorter and the third and fourth longest; the tail is short and rounded; the body plumage is bright and glossy, often with blue or green hues. The head is large, the neck short, the wings short and rounded, and the tail mostly short as well; the beak is large and pointed with a blunt culmen; the legs are very short, the toes slender and weak, the fourth toe mostly fused with the third, and only fused with the second toe at the base. The preen gland is covered with (unidentified feathers). Coracoid bones are present on both sides, and there are four notches on the posterior margin of the sternum; the manubrium of the sternum is simply formed by external spines.
Detailed introduction
The Shining-blue Kingfisher, scientifically known as *Alcedo quadribrachys*, has two subspecies: 1. *Alcedo quadribrachys quaddribrachys*, found in Senegal and Nigeria; 2. *Alcedo quadribrachys guentheri*, found in Nigeria, Sudan, Uganda, Angola, and Zambia.
The blue kingfisher is a solitary bird, usually perching alone on branches or rocks near water, waiting to hunt. Its diet consists mainly of small fish, supplemented by crustaceans, various aquatic insects and their larvae, as well as small frogs and a small amount of aquatic plants. Even when submerged, the kingfisher maintains excellent vision because its eyes can quickly adjust to the visual contrast caused by light changes underwater. Therefore, it is highly skilled at catching fish.
The Blue Kingfisher typically nests on earthen cliffs, or on the banks of fields and streams, using its beak to dig tunnel-like burrows that are usually unlined. Eggs are laid directly on the ground inside the nest. Each clutch contains 5-6 eggs. The eggs are mottled white, glossy, and slightly spotted, measuring approximately 28 mm x 18 mm. There are 1-2 clutches per year; the incubation period is about 21 days. Both parents incubate the eggs, but only the female feeds the chicks. The breeding season varies slightly depending on the region: September in Nigeria, November in Cameroon, approximately December to March in Gabon, March to December in Congo, and February and April to July in Uganda.
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