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Forest KingfisherAlternative names: "Macleay's Kingfisher", "Bush Kingfisher", "Blue Kingfisher" |
Sightings
Forest Kingfishers of the subspecies "incinctus" are found during the breeding season and summer at the place where we lived in 2003-2006, 20 km south of Narrabri, New South Wales. The first sighting in 2006 was in early September; during that season spotted in various locations in the Narrabri area.
Also found in the area 20-30 km east of Narrabri in the spring/summer of 2007/08. Returned from their migration to the north at the middle of September 2008. Then seen again in the 2009/10 breeding season.
Also spotted by us in the wetlands of Capricorn Resort, Yeppoon, in July 2009. Special access to the wetlands kindly granted by the owners of Capricorn Resort is most gratefully acknowledged.
Subspecies "macleayii" was spotted by us in the Northern Territory in 1997 (see below).
Photos
Subspecies "incinctus"
Note how the adult birds have white underparts (first couple of photos), while the juveniles have pronounced buff tints (second set of photos).
Pair of Forest Kingfishers "incinctus", female on the left, male on the right
Lateral view of an adult male Forest Kingfisher "incinctus" (photo obtained in the wetlands of Capricorn Resort, Yeppoon, in July 2009; see credits page for details)
The white neckband characterises the bird as an adult male (photo obtained in the wetlands of Capricorn Resort, Yeppoon, in July 2009; see credits page for details)
Lateral view of a male Forest Kingfisher "incinctus"; the buff tint indicates that this is a young bird
Frontal view of a female Forest Kingfisher "incinctus" serving as sprinkler decoration
Here the back of the same bird as shown above, showing how the blue colour continues across its neck, which proves that this is indeed a female
Backside of a juvenile Forest Kingfisher "incinctus" spotted 20 km south of Narrabri in 2006; note the buff underparts, collar and lores
Lateral view of a juvenile Forest Kingfisher "incinctus" on a branch; this specimen, seen 20 km east of Narrabri in 2007, again has buff underparts, collar and lores
The same bird as above, turning its back; there is almost no turquoise tint and no "mottled blue" on its collar either
Frontal view of an immature Forest Kingfisher "incinctus"
Close-up view of a fledgling Forest Kingfisher "incinctus" seen 20 km south of Narrabri in February 2008; note the stubby tail. The bird's rasping call was reminiscent of one of the calls of a Restless Flycatcher
Subspecies "macleayii"
Nest
Entrance to the nesting hollow of a pair of Forest Kingfishers (click on image for larger version)
Here one of the birds entering the nesting hollow
Habits
Together with other birds marking the boundaries of their territory by calling from vantage points, we noticed that the local pair of Forest Kingfishers was quiet for two days during a late cold snap in late October 2008.
Some bird species, including Forest Kingfishers, are quite adaptable in choosing where they hunt. The photo below is of a juvenile bird that was seen around our place in March 2009. There were no parents around to teach the bird its tactics and it was clearly too young to have made earlier experiences in previous seasons. It hunted from a gate, just outside the reach of a sprinkler, in an area where insects disturbed by the water were crawling into drier areas.
Forest Kingfisher using the disturbance created by a lawn sprinkler to pick off insects crawling away; the bird sat about 50 cm outside the range of the sprinkler