Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Kingfisher of Madagascar
- Scientific name: Madagascar Kingfisher, Alcedo vintsioides, Madagascar Kingfisher
- Classification: Climbing birds
- Classification and genus: Order Coraciiformes, Family Kingfisher, Genus Kingfisher
Vital signs data
- Body length: Approximately 16 centimeters
- Weight: 16-22g
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
The feathers on the forehead and back of the neck are generally a mixture of black, green and light blue.
Distribution and Habitat
The Madagascar kingfisher is found in the Indian Ocean (including Madagascar and its surrounding islands).
Madagascar kingfishers inhabit open forest clearings with rivers on Madagascar and Comoros, or swamps, rice paddies, coconut groves, mangroves, coastal estuaries, ponds, beaches, and rivers. They do not stray far from water sources, especially in the arid southwest of Madagascar, where they are seen sparsely scattered along the coast washing themselves. On the Comoros, a volcanic island without permanent rivers, they settle along the coast and in lakes on the crater rim.
Appearance
The Madagascar kingfisher is 16cm in length, with males weighing 16.5-21g and females 18-22g; males and females are very similar. Their forehead and nape feathers are generally a mixture of black, green, and pale blue. The crest and nape are composed of black, blue, and pale green. The crest forms a barely noticeable peak, marked with a small line or red patch at the front. The chin and throat are white. The cheeks, sides of the neck, and breast are orange-red. The wing and tail coverts are blue. The back of the tail is pale white. The belly is yellow. The bill is dark brown with a red base. The iris is dark brown, and the legs are orange-red.
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 Madagascar Kingfisher, scientifically known as *Alcedo vintsioides*, has two subspecies: 1. *Alcedo vintsioides johannae*, found on the Comoros Island; and 2. *Alcedo vintsioides vintsioides*, found in Madagascar.
The diet of the Madagascar kingfisher consists of small fish, frogs, crustaceans, marine and freshwater insects, as well as crickets, bedbugs, flies, and beetles.
The Madagascar kingfisher is a dual-robin family, with both males and females building their nests. They dig tunnel-like burrows in the riverbank using their beaks, the burrows being 5 cm high and 40 cm deep. The female lays 3 to 6 eggs directly on the ground in the burrow. They have 1 to 2 broods per year; the incubation period is about 21 days. Both parents incubate the eggs, but only the female feeds the chicks. The breeding season begins in October in the Comoros and in November in Madagascar, but lasts until April.
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