Biak paradise kingfisher | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Coraciiformes |
Family: | Alcedinidae |
Subfamily: | Halcyoninae |
Genus: | Tanysiptera |
Species: | T. riedelii |
Binomial name | |
Tanysiptera riedelii Verreaux, 1866 | |
The Biak paradise kingfisher (Tanysiptera riedelii) is a tree kingfisher that is endemic to the Indonesian island of Biak which is one of a small group of islands located in Cenderawasih Bay near the northern coast of Papua. This bird has a turquoise-blue back with a white belly and tail streamers and a reddish beak. Its natural habitat is forests and the IUCN has assessed its conservation status as being "near-threatened".
The adult Biak paradise kingfisher is about 14 in (36 cm) including its long tail. The crown, nape and sides of the head as well as the upper parts are a bright glossy turquoise-blue. The rump and the basal parts of the rectrices are white and the underwings are black. The two central tail feathers are greatly elongated and have bare shafts which flare out at the tip into racket-like lobes. The bird's underparts are white and the long, stout bill is red. [2] [3]
The Biak paradise kingfisher is found only on the island of Biak in Indonesia. [1] It seems that these birds originated from a few founding T. galatea birds which arrived on the island and became isolated from the mainland birds. These then underwent a "genetic revolution". [4] There were no particular biotic factors involved, but there was sufficient variation among the founding birds to encourage speciation, and the assortment of genes that the birds received was later undisturbed by further inflow of alien genes. [4]
The adult Biak paradise kingfisher has been little studied but its diet and behaviour are thought to be similar to the closely related common paradise kingfisher (Tanysiptera galatea) which is found on the mainland of New Guinea. Some authorities consider it to be subspecies of that bird. [5] The common paradise kingfisher perches on a low branch in the forest and swoops down to scoop up insects and earthworms off the forest floor. It nests in a cavity of a tree, in a hollow branch or in a hole excavated in an arboreal termite nest. [2]
The Biak paradise kingfisher has a small range but is fairly common on the island where it lives. Its forest habitat is under threat from logging but there are large parts of the island that have not yet been harvested. It seems able to adapt to secondary growth forest but may be only present in areas with tall trees. The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers it likely that the population trend is downwards and has assessed its conservation status as being "near-threatened". [1]
The Schouten Islands are an island group of Papua province, eastern Indonesia in the Cenderawasih Bay 50 km off the north-western coast of the island of New Guinea. The group consists of the main islands of Biak, Supiori and Numfor, and numerous smaller islands, mostly covered in rain forest.
The king bird-of-paradise is a passerine bird of the Paradisaeidae (bird-of-paradise) family. It is considered by the IOC checklist to be the only member of the genus Cicinnurus, although the genus Diphyllodes is closely related and is subsumed under Cicinnurus by many other authorities.
The buff-breasted paradise kingfisher is a bird in the tree kingfisher subfamily, Halcyoninae. It is native to Australia and New Guinea. It migrates in November from New Guinea to its breeding grounds in the rainforest of North Queensland, Australia. Like all paradise kingfishers, this bird has colourful plumage with a red bill, buff breast and distinctive long tail streamers.
The Numfor paradise kingfisher, also known as the cobalt paradise kingfisher, is a tree kingfisher endemic to the Indonesian island of Numfor off the northwestern coast of New Guinea. It is a common species, but the forests where it lives are being affected by logging and the IUCN has rated its conservation status as "near-threatened".
The Kofiau paradise kingfisher is a tree kingfisher belonging to the family Alcedinidae, subfamily Halcyoninae.
The paradise kingfishers are a group of tree kingfishers endemic to New Guinea — with the exception of two species also present in the Moluccas and Queensland.
The yellow-faced myna is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in New Guinea and nearby smaller islands, where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. The long-tailed myna was formerly included as a subspecies. One of the largest species of starling, this species attains 23 to 26 cm in length and weighs around 217 g (7.7 oz). They have dark plumage with a metallic lustre and bright orange facial markings and beak. These birds are social and omnivorous. Their diet consists of fruit and insects for which they forage high in the canopy. They are common birds with a wide range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed their conservation status as being of "least concern". It was named after Charles Dumont.
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The brown-hooded kingfisher is a species of bird in the subfamily Halcyoninae, the tree kingfishers. It has a brown head and blackish and turquoise wings. It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa, living in woodland, scrubland, forest edges, and also suburban areas. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed it as being of least concern.
The red-throated bee-eater is a species of bird in the family Meropidae. This species is found in tropical Africa, in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, and Uganda. It has a wide range and large total population, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
The brown-headed paradise kingfisher, also known as the russet paradise kingfisher, is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to the lowland forest in the Bird's Tail Peninsula. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. Like all paradise kingfishers this bird has colourful plumage with a red bill and distinctive long tail streamers. No subspecies are distinguished.
The common paradise kingfisher, also known as the Galatea paradise kingfisher and the racquet-tailed kingfisher, is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is found in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests of the Maluku Islands and New Guinea. Like all paradise kingfishers, it has a red bill and colourful plumage. The species is common and the IUCN has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
The little paradise-kingfisher is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is found in the Aru Islands and southern New Guinea.
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The black-capped paradise kingfisher or black-headed paradise kingfisher, is a bird in the tree kingfisher subfamily, Halcyoninae. It is native to several islands in the Bismarck Archipelago to the east of New Guinea. Like all paradise kingfishers, this bird has colourful plumage with a red bill and long distinctive tail streamers.
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