Hercules Kingfisher
| Hercules Kingfisher | ||||||||||||
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Hercules Kingfisher ( Alcedo hercules ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Alcedo hercules | ||||||||||||
| Laubmann , 1917 |
The Hercules Kingfisher ( Alcedo hercules ) is an Asian kingfisher .
features
The 22 cm long Hercules Kingfisher is the largest member of the Alcedo genus . It is similar to the European kingfisher ( Alcedo atthis ). Due to the size difference, these two types are easy to distinguish. The Hercules Kingfisher is characterized by an ultramarine blue head, dark blue wing tops, and a white throat. The chest, abdomen and undersides of the wings are reddish in color. As with our native kingfisher, the males have a completely black beak, the females have a red lower bill.
Occurrence
The Hercules Kingfisher is found on rivers in mostly higher rainforests (625 to 1000 m altitude) in Southeast Asia. Its distribution area extends from Sikkim in the Himalayas to the island of Hainan in south-east China .
Behavior and food
The Hercules Kingfisher is a hide hunter and feeds on small fish and insects.
literature
- C. Hilary Fry and Kathie Fry: Kingfishers, Bee-Eaters, & Rollers. Princeton, New Jersey 1992, 1999, ISBN 0-691-04879-7 .
Web link
- Alcedo hercules inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2014.