Spangled kookaburra

Spangled kookaburra
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Coraciiformes
Family:	Alcedinidae
Subfamily:	Halcyoninae
Genus:	Dacelo
Species:	D. tyro
Binomial name
Dacelo tyro Gray, 1858
Subspecies [2]
D. t. archboldi - (Rand, 1938) D. t. tyro - Gray, GR, 1858

The spangled kookaburra (Dacelo tyro), also called the Aru giant kingfisher, is a species of kookaburra found in the Aru Islands, Trans-Fly savanna and grasslands of southern New Guinea. Little is known of its family life or breeding biology.

Taxonomy

Two subspecies are recognised: ^[3]

• D. t. tyro – Aru Islands, Indonesia
• D. t. archboldi – New Guinea

Description

The spangled kookaburra grows to 33 cm (13 in) in length, with females growing slightly larger than males. ^[4] It has bright blue wings and tail, a white chest and belly, dark eyes, and a black head with white spots. The upper mandible is dark grey whilst the lower mandible is white. The species has no sexual dimorphism - males and females look alike. ^[3]

References

1. BirdLife International (2016). "Dacelo tyro". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22683196A92978248. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22683196A92978248.en . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
2. Gill F, D Donsker & P Rasmussen (Eds). 2020. IOC World Bird List (v10.2). doi : 10.14344/IOC.ML.10.2.
3. Fry, C Hillary; Fry, Kathie; Harris, Alan (2010). Kingfishers, bee-eaters and rollers. London: A&C Black. pp. 130–131.
4. "Spangled Kookaburra (Dacelo tyro)". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Retrieved January 31, 2019.

External links

• BirdLife Species Factsheet