Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Moluccas Emerald
- Scientific name: Kingfisher, Todirhamphus diops, Moluccan Kingfisher
- Classification: Climbing birds
- Genus and species: Order Coraciiformes, Family Kingfisher, Genus Aldebaran
Vital signs data
- Body length: 19-20 cm
- Weight: 41-65g
- 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 (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), and East Timor in Indonesia).
The original habitat of the Moluccas eagle is now the densely populated North Maluku Islands. They typically inhabit dense forests and riverbanks near water, generally found on forest edges, in woodlands, gardens, and farmlands.
Appearance
The Moluccan Kingfisher is 19-20 cm in length; females weigh 41-45 kg, and males weigh 42-65 kg. The male's head has a black tip and apex, with the rest bluish-purple. A circular or triangular mark is present at the base of the beak on the forehead, slightly higher than the beak. The neck is black, often with some white feathers. It has a broad white collar. The wattles, wings, breast, and upper body are bluish-purple, more pronounced on the shoulders and back. The tail is a different bright blue. The underparts are pure white. The wings covering the face are white, and the tail is greyish-black. The beak is black, the iris is dark brown, and the legs are greyish-black. Adult females differ; the back of the neck is bluish-black on both sides. The breast has a wide, alternating band of bluish-purple.
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 Moluccan Kingfisher, scientifically known as *Todirhamphus diops*, is a bird belonging to the genus *Todirhamphus* in the family Kingfisheridae of the order Coraciiformes.
Like most forest kingfishers, the Moluccan kingfisher is entirely carnivorous. It typically hunts 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.
Moluccas nest on earthen cliffs or river embankments, using their beaks 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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