Search Help

Kingfishers (Alcedinidae)

Stork-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis) - HBW 6, p. 205

French: Martin-chasseur gurial German: Storchschnabelliest Spanish: Alción Picocigüeña
Other common names: Brown-headed Stork-billed Kingfisher

Taxonomy: Alcedo capensis Linnaeus, 1766, Cape of Good Hope; error = Chandernagor, West Bengal.
Genus sometimes merged into Halcyon; in past, genus name given as Ramphalcyon, but Pelargopsis has priority. Forms a superspecies with P. melanorhyncha. Mainland races intergrade to some extent; races smithi, nesoeca and isoptera of doubtful validity. Somewhat confused nomenclature: nominate race previously believed to refer to populations of Java; under that arrangement, Indian mainland birds were placed in race gurial; birds of Borneo formerly separated as either race innominata or race javana, with latter name at one sta.. View all taxonomy...

Taxonomy: Alcedo capensis Linnaeus, 1766, Cape of Good Hope; error = Chandernagor, West Bengal.
Genus sometimes merged into Halcyon; in past, genus name given as Ramphalcyon, but Pelargopsis has priority. Forms a superspecies with P. melanorhyncha. Mainland races intergrade to some extent; races smithi, nesoeca and isoptera of doubtful validity. Somewhat confused nomenclature: nominate race previously believed to refer to populations of Java; under that arrangement, Indian mainland birds were placed in race gurial; birds of Borneo formerly separated as either race innominata or race javana, with latter name at one stage erroneously thought to refer not to Javan birds but to those of Borneo. Fifteen subspecies currently recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • capensis (Linn aeus, 1766) - Indian Subcontinent (except W and extreme N) S to Sri Lanka.
  • osmastoni (Stuart Baker, 1934) - Andaman Is.
  • intermedia Hume, 1874 - Nicobar Is.

     See all 15 subspecies
  • capensis (Linn aeus, 1766) - Indian Subcontinent (except W and extreme N) S to Sri Lanka.
  • osmastoni (Stuart Baker, 1934) - Andaman Is.
  • intermedia Hume, 1874 - Nicobar Is.
  • burmanica Sharpe, 1870 - Myanmar, Thailand and Indochina S to about Isthmus of Kra in Malay Peninsula.
  • malaccensis Sharpe, 1870 - from Isthmus of Kra S to Riau and Lingga Archipelagos.
  • cyanopteryx (Oberholser, 1909) - Sumatra, Bangka, Belitung and Borneo.
  • simalurensis Richmond, 1903 - Simeulue I, off NW Sumatra.
  • sodalis Richmond, 1903 - Banyak Is, off NW Sumatra.
  • nesoeca (Oberholser, 1909) - Nias I and Batu Is, off W Sumatra.
  • isoptera (Oberholser, 1909) - Mentawai Is, off W Sumatra.
  • javana (Boddaert, 1783) - Java.
  • floresiana Sharpe, 1870 - Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa and Flores.
  • gouldi Sharpe, 1870 - N & W Philippines.
  • smithi (Mearns, 1909) - C & S Philippines.
  • gigantea Walden, 1874 - Sulu Archipelago (S Philippines).

Videos

See all 22 videos
1234next ›last »

Sounds

2 recordings
About us | Contact us | FAQ | Permalink