Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: Javanese jade
- Scientific name: Halcyon cyanoventris, ava Kingfisher
- Classification: Climbing birds
- Family and Genus: Order Coraciiformes, Family Kingfisher, Genus Kingfisher
Vital signs data
- Body length: Approximately 27 centimeters
- Weight: About 93g
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
Distribution and Habitat
Javan jade is distributed across the islands of the Pacific Ocean (including Taiwan, 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).
The Javan Emerald is frequently found in various woodlands and rural plantations, rice paddies, swamps, coastal scrublands, mangroves, fishponds, forests, and dense rainforests. It occasionally appears in parks and city gardens, but it is not a true urban bird. It is endemic to small islands such as Java and Bali, and its range is quite widespread, from sea level to 1500 meters.
Appearance
The Javan Kingfisher measures 27 cm in length and weighs 93 g, with males and females similar in appearance. Adults have a brownish-black head, with only a few neck feathers displaying a bluish-purple hue. The chin, throat, collar, and breast are brown, while the lower jaw is light brown, with several black stripes on the throat and sides of the neck. The wattles, back, scapulae, tail, and wings display bluish-purple tones. Bright turquoise blue is visible on the primary flight feathers, secondary flight feathers, and wingtips. White spots are present on the wingtips. The armpits and back of the wing coverts are black. The bill is red, the iris is dark brown, and the eyes are red. The legs are dark red. Juveniles have darker plumage than adults. A monotonous green or purple replaces the turquoise blue. The throat is white or pale yellow, and the bill is orange-brown.
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
Java jadeite, scientifically known as Halcyon cyanoventris, ava Kingfisher, has no subspecies.
Javan kingfishers are not very sociable. They live alone or in pairs, perched on a tree in a plain. They typically inhabit dense forests and riverbanks near water, usually hunting alone or in pairs. Like most forest kingfishers, they are entirely carnivorous, foraging in leaves or mud. Their diet consists mainly of insects such as crickets, spiders, scorpions, and snails. They also catch fish, freshwater crustaceans, larvae, and frogs.
The Javan Emerald 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. The breeding season is between February and September each year, with the female laying 3 to 5 nearly round, bright white eggs in the nest.
Listed as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.
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