Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Nam Molucca Jade
- Scientific name: Todirhamphus lazuli, Lazuli kingfisher
- Classification: Climbing birds
- Genus and species: Order Coraciiformes, Family Kingfisher, Genus Aldebaran
Vital signs data
- Body length: Approximately 22 centimeters
- Weight: No verification information available.
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
Distribution and Habitat
Distributed in the Wallace region (referring to the area east of the traditional Wallace Line, which runs from the eastern waters of Mindanao through the Makassar Strait to the area between Bali and Lombok, and west of Papua New Guinea, including the islands of Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara, Southwest Islands, Moluccas, Maluku Islands, East Timor, etc. in Indonesia).
They typically inhabit dense forests and riverbanks near water.
Appearance
The Southern Moorhen Kingfisher is 22 cm in length. Adult males have a black forehead and crown with a bluish tinge. A white spot precedes the eye, slightly above the beak. The cheeks and jaw are bluish-black. The neck is bluish-black. Some bluish-black feathers appear behind a broad white collar. Black feathers on the wattles are edged with blue. The dark-striped scapulae are pale blue. The back and tail are silvery-blue or sky-blue. The wings have various shades of blue. The tail is bluish-purple. A large white patch covers the chin, throat, sides of the neck, chest, and upper abdomen, while the sides and tail are blue. The upper jaw is black, with a lower, brownish-black edge to the yellow horn. The iris is dark brown. The legs are dark brown. Females differ, with bluish-purple hindquarters on the sides of the neck. The chest and abdomen are pale blue. The chin and throat are white, and the underside of the wings is dark bluish-grey.
The beak is thick and long, resembling a chisel, with a relatively wide base, a straight beak peak, a rounded ridge, and no nasal grooves on either side; the wings are rounded, with the first primary flight feather being the same length as or slightly shorter than the seventh primary flight feather, and the second, third, and fourth primary flight feathers being nearly the same length; the base of the primary flight feathers has white spots; the tail is rounded.
Detailed introduction
The Southern Moorish Kingfisher, scientifically known as *Todirhamphus lazuli* or *Lazuli kingfisher*, belongs to the kingfisher family.
Southern Moorhen kingfishers typically hunt alone or in pairs. Like most forest kingfishers, they are entirely carnivorous, often searching for prey in leaves or soil. Their main diet consists of invertebrates such as crickets, spiders, scorpions, and snails. They also eat small vertebrates such as small fish, snakes, and lizards.
The Southern Moluccan Emerald will burrow into termite-eroded tree trunks to build its nest. The eggs are nearly round, pure white, and about 29.4 × 26.2 mm in size.
Listed in the IUCN Red List of Birds, ver 3.1: 2008.
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