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Red-backed KingfisherAlternative name: "Golden Kingfisher" Size: 20-24 cm |
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Taxonomy, classification |
See Red-backed
Kingfisher
at Wikipedia 
.
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Range, habitat |
(for details refer to a field guide) |
Red-backed Kingfishers are endemic to Australia. They breed mostly in the south-eastern part of the continent comprising the southern inland half of QLD, the south-eastern corner of the NT, the eastern half of SA and almost all of NSW (except the north coast). Other breeding areas are the north-western corner of the NT, inland between the Fitzroy and ... Rivers in WA and inland from the coastal strip between Perth and Geraldton, WA, to about half the east-west width of WA. Outside their breeding season they disperse over most of the continent, except Tasmania, VIC south of the Great Dividing Range, south-eastern WA, the south-western tip of WA and a small coastal area south of the Gascoyne River in WA.
Our experience is that they are most likely found inland, rather than the coastal regions or the Great Dividing Range. They have a preference for dry, open woodland.
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Sightings |
A Red-backed Kingfisher was first spotted by us in the township of Walgett, western NSW, in October 2010.
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Photos |
Red-backed Kingfisher using a TV aerial as its perch; although the photo is only mediocre, it clearly identifies the bird - not by its rufous-coloured rump, but by its streaked grey-white cap
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Behaviour |
| Social behaviour: Territorial | Mobility: Dispersive | Elementary unit: Solitary/pair |
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Food |
Red-backed Kingfishers are known to hunt primarily on land for small reptiles and large insects (e.g. bush cockroaches).
