Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Blue-banded Kingfisher
- Scientific name: Alcedo euryzona, Blue-banded Kingfisher
- Classification: Climbing birds
- Classification and genus: Order Coraciiformes, Family Kingfisher, Genus Kingfisher
Vital signs data
- Body length: Approximately 17 centimeters
- Weight: 34-49g
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
The male blue-banded kingfisher has black back feathers with a central tuft of turquoise feathers.
Distribution and Habitat
The Blue-banded Kingfisher is a species endemic to Southeast Asia, found in Myanmar, Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, Indonesia, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. It is rare in Myanmar and Thailand.
Inhabits Borneo, with shrubland or sparse forests, clear and slow-flowing streams, creeks, lakes, and irrigation canals. Common along streams and primary rainforest creeks, especially in the upper reaches and some tributaries. Also observed in forested areas. Ranges up to 100 meters. Reaches an altitude of 1250 meters, a rare occurrence in Java, Borneo, where altitudes of 1500 meters are not uncommon. Also seen in mangroves near streams in Malaysia reaching heights of up to 850 meters. Settled, but limited to Sumatra.
Appearance
The Blue-banded Kingfisher is 17 cm in length and weighs 34-49 grams. The male has black back feathers with a central band of turquoise-blue feathers. It has a large white patch on the back of the neck and under the cheeks. The breast and abdomen are orange-yellow, with striking sky-blue patches on the shoulders, tail, and wings, creating a clear contrast with the black body. The legs and claws are orange-red, and the iris is dark brown. The female's plumage is dark brown, lacking the blue band. The breast, abdomen, neck, small tail, and wedges are orange-red. The jaw is dark greyish-black, with a reddish-orange lower part.
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 Blue-banded Kingfisher, scientifically known as *Alcedo euryzona*, has two subspecies: 1. the nominate subspecies *Alcedo euryzona euryzona*, found in Java; and 2. the Borneo subspecies *Alcedo euryzona peninsulae*, found in Myanmar, Sumatra, and Borneo.
The blue-banded 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.
Blue-banded kingfishers nest on earthen cliffs, or on the banks of fields and streams, using their beaks to dig tunnel-like burrows for their nests, which are generally unlined. The eggs are laid directly on the ground inside the nest. Each clutch contains 6-7 eggs. The eggs are pure white, glossy, and slightly spotted, measuring approximately 28 mm × 18 mm. They lay 1-2 clutches per year; the incubation period is about 21 days. Both parents incubate the eggs, but only the female feeds the chicks.
Blue-banded kingfishers are mainly confined to the vicinity of rivers in lowland forests, and therefore their numbers are suspected to be declining rapidly and continuously due to the loss and destruction of their habitat and their entire range of habitat.
Listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012 ver 3.1.
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