Todiramphus

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Todiramphus
Sacred kingfisher nov08.jpg
Sacred kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Alcedinidae
Subfamily: Halcyoninae
Genus: Todiramphus
Lesson, 1827
Type species
Todiramphus sacra [1]
Lesson, 1827
Species

see list

Todiramphus is a genus of kingfishers in the subfamily Halcyoninae that are endemic to the Philippines, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and many islands in the South Pacific.

Contents

Taxonomy

The genus was introduced by the French surgeon and naturalist René Lesson in 1827. [2] The name is often spelt Todirhamphus (with rh), but Todiramphus is the original valid spelling. The name literally means "tody-bill"; [3] tody is a relative of the kingfishers with a similar slender long bill, and the Greek rhamphos (ῥάµϕος) means "beak" or "bill". [4]

In 1945 James Peters in his Check-list of Birds of the World placed these species in an enlarged genus Halcyon . [5] Hilary Fry did the same in his 1992 monograph on kingfishers, but in 2001 Peter Woodall in the Handbook of the Birds of the World chose to place these Pacific flat-billed species in the resurrected genus Todiramphus. [6] This decision was vindicated by a molecular study published in 2006 that found that the enlarged Halcyon was not monophyletic. [7]

There are now around 30 extant species in the genus but the genus formerly contained fewer species. [8] A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2015 found that some of the polytypic species were paraphyletic. To create monophyletic groups, some of the subspecies were promoted to species status. The most extreme case was that of the collared kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris) that was split into six species: the Pacific kingfisher, the Islet kingfisher, the Torresian kingfisher, the collared kingfisher, the Mariana kingfisher and the Melanesian kingfisher. [8] [9]

The range of the genus extends from the Philippines in the west to French Polynesia in the east, with the greatest diversity in Australasia.

Description

Members of Todiramphus are medium-sized kingfishers with flattened beaks. They are typically blue or blue-green above with pale underparts. They often have a pale collar and stripe over the eye. Many species are commonly found well away from water and feed largely on terrestrial animals such as insects and lizards. The nest is built in a cavity, most often in a tree.

Species

The genus contains 30 species: [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingfisher</span> Family of birds

Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species living in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, but also can be found in Europe and the Americas. They can be found in deep forests near calm ponds and small rivers. The family contains 118 species and is divided into three subfamilies and 19 genera. All kingfishers have large heads, long, sharp, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. Most species have bright plumage with only small differences between the sexes. Most species are tropical in distribution, and a slight majority are found only in forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River kingfisher</span> Subfamily of birds

The river kingfishers or pygmy kingfishers, subfamily Alcedininae, are one of the three subfamilies of kingfishers. The river kingfishers are widespread through Africa and east and south Asia as far as Australia, with one species, the common kingfisher also appearing in Europe and northern Asia. This group includes many kingfishers that actually dive for fish. The origin of the subfamily is thought to have been in Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacred kingfisher</span> Species of bird

The sacred kingfisher is a medium-sized woodland kingfisher that occurs in mangroves, woodlands, forests and river valleys in Australia, New Zealand and other parts of the western Pacific.

<i>Halcyon</i> (genus) Genus of birds

Halcyon is a genus of the tree kingfishers, near passerine birds in the subfamily Halcyoninae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guam kingfisher</span> Species of bird from the US Territory of Guam

The Guam kingfisher, called sihek in Chamorro, is a species of kingfisher from the occupied United States Territory of Guam. It is restricted to a captive breeding program following its extinction in the wild due primarily to predation by the introduced brown tree snake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collared kingfisher</span> Species of bird

The collared kingfisher is a medium-sized kingfisher belonging to the subfamily Halcyoninae, the tree kingfishers. It is also known as the white-collared kingfisher, black-masked kingfisher or mangrove kingfisher. It has a wide range extending from the Red Sea across southern Asia to Polynesia. A number of subspecies and subspecies groups have been split from this species including the Pacific kingfisher, the islet kingfisher, the Torresian kingfisher, the Mariana kingfisher, and the Melanesian kingfisher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lazuli kingfisher</span> Species of bird

The lazuli kingfisher is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It can be found on the islands of Seram, Ambon and Haruku. Found singly and in pairs in lowland wooded areas, including cultivated areas and mangroves. Pale blue underside is unique among kingfishers in its limited south Moluccan range. Rowdy vocalizations include repetitive “ker-chick” series and “ki-ki-ki-ki…” calls. It gets its name due to its colour being reminiscent of Lapis Lazuli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-backed kingfisher</span> Species of bird

The red-backed kingfisher is a species of kingfisher in the subfamily Halcyoninae, also known as tree kingfishers. It is a predominantly blue-green and white bird with a chestnut rump. It is found across the continent of Australia, mainly inhabiting the drier regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chattering kingfisher</span> Species of bird

The chattering kingfisher is a species of bird in the kingfisher family Alcedinidae. The species is found in the Cook Islands and the Society Islands in French Polynesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Society kingfisher</span> Species of bird

The Society kingfisher or Tahiti kingfisher is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to the Society Islands of French Polynesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous-lored kingfisher</span> Species of bird

The rufous-lored kingfisher (Todiramphus winchelli, also known as Winchell's kingfisher, is a species of bird in the kingfisher family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to the Philippines, its natural habitat being lowland forests. It is threatened by deforestation, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed it as a vulnerable species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tree kingfisher</span> Subfamily of birds

The tree kingfishers, also called wood kingfishers or Halcyoninae, are the most numerous of the three subfamilies of birds in the kingfisher family, with around 70 species divided into 12 genera, including several species of kookaburras. The subfamily appears to have arisen in Indochina and Maritime Southeast Asia and then spread to many areas around the world. Tree kingfishers are widespread through Asia and Australasia, but also appear in Africa and the islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, using a range of habitats from tropical rainforest to open woodlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rusty-capped kingfisher</span> Species of bird

The rusty-capped kingfisher or Palau kingfisher is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to Palau. The natural habitat of this species is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the Micronesian kingfisher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific kingfisher</span> Species of bird

The Pacific kingfisher is a medium-sized kingfisher belonging to the subfamily Halcyoninae, the tree kingfishers. It has a wide range throughout the South Pacific islands. It was previously considered a subspecies of the collared kingfisher.

The islet kingfisher is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torresian kingfisher</span> Species of bird

The Torresian kingfisher is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is found in southern New Guinea and in Australia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, mangroves, and plantations. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the collared kingfisher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariana kingfisher</span> Species of bird

The Mariana kingfisher is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to the Northern Mariana Islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and plantations. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the collared kingfisher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melanesian kingfisher</span> Species of bird

The Melanesian kingfisher is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to the Bismarck Archipelago and the northwest and central Solomon Islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and plantations. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the collared kingfisher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dimorphic dwarf kingfisher</span> Species of bird

The dimorphic dwarf kingfisher is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae that is endemic to the central and southern Philippines. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Solomons dwarf kingfisher</span> Species of bird

The North Solomons dwarf kingfisher, is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae that is endemic to the west and central Solomon Islands. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

References

  1. "Alcedinidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
  2. Lesson, René (1827). "Description d'un nouveau genre d'oiseau. Todirhamphe, Todiramphus". Bulletin des sciences naturelles et de géologie (in French). 12: 268–271 [269].
  3. Gray, Jeannie; Fraser, Ian (2013). Australian Bird Names: A Complete Guide. Csiro Publishing. p. 180. ISBN   978-0-643-10471-6.
  4. "rhamphoid" . Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press.(Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  5. Peters, James Lee, ed. (1945). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 5. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 193.
  6. Fry, C. Hilary; Fry, Kathie; Harris, Alan (1992). Kingfishers, Bee-eaters, and Rollers. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN   978-0-7136-8028-7.
  7. Moyle, Robert G (2006). "A molecular phylogeny of kingfishers (Alcedinidae) with insights into early biogeographic history". Auk. 123 (2): 487–499. doi:10.1642/0004-8038(2006)123[487:AMPOKA]2.0.CO;2. hdl: 1808/16596 . S2CID   84824051.
  8. 1 2 3 Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (August 2022). "Rollers, ground rollers & kingfishers". World Bird List Version 12.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  9. Andersen, M.J.; Shult, H.T.; Cibois, A.; Thibault, J.C.; Filardi, C.E.; Moyle, R.G. (2015). "Rapid diversification and secondary sympatry in Australo-Pacific kingfishers (Aves: Alcedinidae: Todiramphus)". Royal Society Open Science. 2 (140375). Bibcode:2015RSOS....240375A. doi: 10.1098/rsos.140375 . PMC   4448819 . PMID   26064600.