Azure Kingfisher
Encyclopedia
The Azure Kingfisher Alcedo azurea is a small kingfisher
(17-19 cm), in the river kingfisher family, Alcedinidae. It is found in Northern and Eastern Australia
and Tasmania
, as well as the lowlands of New Guinea
and neighbouring islands, and out to North Maluku
and Romang
.
It is a very colourful bird, with deep blue to azure back, a large white to buff spot on side of neck and throat, rufous-buff with some blue-violet streaks on breast and flanks. The feet are red with only two forward toes. The lores (the region between the eye and the bill) are white and inconspicuous except in front view, where they stand out as two large white eye-like spots which may have a role in warding off potential predators.
The subspecies
differ only in minor details. ruficollaris is smaller, brighter, and has more blue on the flanks. diemenensis is rather large, short-billed, and has a distinctly darker crown. lessoni is more contrasting, with little blue on the flanks. affinis has a red billtip, as has the smaller yamdenae, and ochrogaster is very pale below. Still, there is very little intergradation in the areas where subspecies meet. Comparing subspecific variation with climate data, the former's pattern does not follow and in some instances runs contrary to Bergmann's Rule
and Gloger's Rule
.(Schodde & Mason 1976, Woodall 2001)
The contact zone between the mainland Australian subspecies is along the east coast of Far North Queensland
, between Cairns and Princess Charlotte Bay
(Schodde & Mason 1976), that of the New Guinea ones between Simbu Province
and the northern Huon Peninsula
, as well as south of Cenderawasih Bay
.(Woodall 2001)
Habitat includes the banks of vegetated creeks, lakes, swamps, tidal estuaries and mangroves. Often difficult to see until it quickly darts from a perch above water. Feeds on freshwater yabbies
and small fish. Nest in a chamber up to 1 metre long in an earthen creek bank. 5-7 white, rounded, glossy eggs. Voice is a high-pitched, shrill, 'pseet-pseet'.
Kingfisher
Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia...
(17-19 cm), in the river kingfisher family, Alcedinidae. It is found in Northern and Eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, as well as the lowlands of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and neighbouring islands, and out to North Maluku
North Maluku
North Maluku is a province of northeastern Indonesia. It covers the northern part of the Maluku Islands, which are split between it and the province of Maluku. Maluku province used to cover the entire group...
and Romang
Romang
Romang is an island, part of Barat Daya Islands in Indonesia, located at , east of Wetar Island.-External links:*...
.
It is a very colourful bird, with deep blue to azure back, a large white to buff spot on side of neck and throat, rufous-buff with some blue-violet streaks on breast and flanks. The feet are red with only two forward toes. The lores (the region between the eye and the bill) are white and inconspicuous except in front view, where they stand out as two large white eye-like spots which may have a role in warding off potential predators.
The subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
differ only in minor details. ruficollaris is smaller, brighter, and has more blue on the flanks. diemenensis is rather large, short-billed, and has a distinctly darker crown. lessoni is more contrasting, with little blue on the flanks. affinis has a red billtip, as has the smaller yamdenae, and ochrogaster is very pale below. Still, there is very little intergradation in the areas where subspecies meet. Comparing subspecific variation with climate data, the former's pattern does not follow and in some instances runs contrary to Bergmann's Rule
Bergmann's Rule
Bergmann's rule is an ecogeographic principle that states that within a broadly distributed genus, species of larger size are found in colder environments, and species of smaller size are found in warmer regions. Although originally formulated in terms of species within a genus, it has often been...
and Gloger's Rule
Gloger's rule
Gloger's Rule is a zoological rule which states that within a species of endotherms, more heavily pigmented forms tend to be found in more humid environments, e.g. near the equator. It was named after the zoologist Constantin Wilhelm Lambert Gloger, who first remarked upon this phenomenon in 1833...
.(Schodde & Mason 1976, Woodall 2001)
The contact zone between the mainland Australian subspecies is along the east coast of Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland, or FNQ, is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. The region, which contains a large section of the Tropical North Queensland area, stretches from the city of Cairns north to the Torres Strait...
, between Cairns and Princess Charlotte Bay
Princess Charlotte Bay
Princess Charlotte Bay is a large bay on the east coast of Far North Queensland at the base of Cape York Peninsula, 350 km north northwest of Cairns. Princess Charlotte Bay is a part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and it is a habitat for the dugong....
(Schodde & Mason 1976), that of the New Guinea ones between Simbu Province
Simbu Province
Simbu, also known as Chimbu, is a Highlands Region province in Papua New Guinea. The province has an area of 6,100 km² and a population of 259,703 . The capital of the province is Kundiawa...
and the northern Huon Peninsula
Huon Peninsula
Huon Peninsula is a large rugged peninsula on the island of New Guinea in Morobe Province, eastern Papua New Guinea. It is named after French explorer Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec who discovered it along with his personal assistant and porter, Henry Ole. The peninsula is dominated by the steep...
, as well as south of Cenderawasih Bay
Cenderawasih Bay
Cenderawasih Bay , also Teluk Sarera , formerly Geelvink Bay is a large bay in northern Province of Papua and West Papua, New Guinea, Indonesia, at . The Dutch name comes after a Dutch ship and family called Geelvinck...
.(Woodall 2001)
Habitat includes the banks of vegetated creeks, lakes, swamps, tidal estuaries and mangroves. Often difficult to see until it quickly darts from a perch above water. Feeds on freshwater yabbies
Yabby
Yabby is a name given in Australia to two different kinds of crustacean.* A freshwater yabby is a crayfish of the genus Cherax . They are often caught for food. A widespread species is the common yabby, Cherax destructor.* A marine yabby is a ghost shrimp , which lives in deep burrows in the...
and small fish. Nest in a chamber up to 1 metre long in an earthen creek bank. 5-7 white, rounded, glossy eggs. Voice is a high-pitched, shrill, 'pseet-pseet'.