Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Flat-mouthed jade
- Scientific name: Todirhamphus recurvirostris, Flat-billed Kingfisher
- Classification: Climbing birds
- Genus and species: Order Coraciiformes, Family Kingfisher, Genus Aldebaran
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 islands of the Pacific Ocean (including Taiwan Province of China, the Dongsha Islands, Xisha Islands, Zhongsha Islands, Nansha Islands, as well as the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra and Java in Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea).
They typically inhabit dense forests and riverbanks near water.
Appearance
The upper body is generally blue or turquoise, and the wings are the same color as the back, only slightly darker. The chest and abdomen are white or orange, with a white collar, white eyebrows, yellow lores, and black eyes. The legs are grayish-black.
The flat-beaked jadeite has a thick, long, chisel-like beak with a wide base, a slightly upturned apex, a rounded ridge, and no nasal grooves on either side; the wings are rounded, with the first and seventh primary flight feathers being the same length or slightly shorter, and the second, third, and fourth feathers being almost the same length; the base of the primary flight feathers has white spots; the tail is rounded.
Detailed introduction
The flat-billed kingfisher, scientifically known as *Todirhamphus recurvirostris*, has five subspecies: 1. *Todirhamphus recurvirostris sanctus*, distributed in Australia, eastern Solomon Islands (Guadalcanal, San Cristóbal), Indonesia, and Melanesia; 2. *Todirhamphus recurvirostris vagans*, distributed in the Norfolk Islands, Kermadec Islands, and New Zealand; 3. *Todirhamphus recurvirostris canacorum*, distributed in New Caledonia and Ascension; 4. *Todirhamphus recurvirostris macmillani*, distributed on Loyalty Island; and 5. *Todirhamphus recurvirostris recurvirostris*, distributed in Western Samoa.
The flat-billed kingfisher typically hunts alone or in pairs. Like most forest kingfishers, it is entirely carnivorous, often searching 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, snakes, and lizards.
The flat-billed kingfisher nests on earthen cliffs or river embankments, using its beak to dig tunnel-like burrows, 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 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 in the IUCN Red List of Birds, ver 3.1: 2008.
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