Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Little Blue Kingfisher
- Scientific name: Small Blue Kingfisher, Cerulean Kingfisher
- Classification: Climbing birds
- Classification and genus: Order Coraciiformes, Family Kingfisher, Genus Kingfisher
Vital signs data
- Body length: Approximately 13 centimeters
- Weight: 12-18g
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
The male bird's head and upper part are sea blue.
Distribution and Habitat
The little blue kingfisher is found on islands in Indonesia, including Sumatra, Java, the Concoran Islands, Bali, Lombok, and Sumbawa.
The little blue kingfisher is frequently found in rivers, canals, reservoirs, wetlands, estuaries, lakes, vast mudflats, mangroves, fishponds, and irrigated rice paddies. Its habitat ranges from sea level to 800 meters.
Appearance
The little blue kingfisher is a small kingfisher, measuring 13 cm in length and weighing 12-18 grams. The male has a sea-blue head and upper body. There are white spots on the sides of the neck and at the base of the beak. The tail is a bright silver-blue. The body is white with a broad blue band across the chest. The beak is black, the iris is dark brown, and the legs and feet are reddish-brown. The underside of the wings is white. Females differ, with greenish plumage. Juveniles have grayish-white underparts. They have almost no breast band. [1]
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 Small Blue Kingfisher, scientifically known as *Alcedo coerulescens*, is a small kingfisher with no subspecies.
The little blue kingfisher usually perches alone on branches or rocks near the water, waiting for its prey. 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 underwater. Therefore, it is highly skilled at catching fish.
The breeding season for the Little Blue Kingfisher is from April to June, and in some areas it extends to August to October. They nest on earthen cliffs, or on the banks of fields and streams, digging tunnel-like burrows with their beaks. These burrows are generally unlined. Eggs are laid directly on the ground in the nest. Each clutch contains 3-6 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.
Listed as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013 ver 3.1.
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