birdsKingfishers

Great-billed Kingfishers or Black-billed Kingfishers

Great-billed Kingfishers or Black-billed Kingfishers

The Great-billed Kingfishers or Black-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis melanorhyncha) is a tree kingfisher that is endemic to Indonesia, where they inhabit subtropical and tropical mangrove forests.

Great-billed Kingfishers Perched on Tree
Great-billed Kingfishers Perched on Tree

English: Black-billed Kingfisher, Black-billed Kingfisher, Great-billed Kingfisher

Despite their large range, these birds are generally sparse and only locally common. It is believed that their numbers are going down owing to habitat destruction.

More Kingfisher Articles: Kingfisher InformationKingfisher Species Photo GalleryRiver KingfishersTree KingfishersWater KingfishersCommon Kingfishers

Subspecies and Ranges:

  • Great-billed Kingfisher. Black-billed Kingfisher or Celebes Stork-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis melanorhyncha melanorhyncha – Temminck, 1826) – Nominate Form
    • Range: Sulawesi and associated islands (Bangka, Manadotua, Lembeh, Togian Is, Dodepo, Wowoni, Kabaena, Muna, Butung, Labuandata, Salayar).
  • Pelargopsis melanorhyncha dichrorhyncha (A. B. Meyer and Wiglesworth, 1896)
    • Range: Peleng Island and Banggai Islands (off Sulawesi situated between Borneo and Maluku Island.)
  • Pelargopsis melanorhyncha eutreptorhyncha (Hartert, 1898)
    • Range: Sula Islands in North Maluku (east of Sulawesi) in Indonesia

Diet / Feeding

The Great-billed Kingfishers diet is diverse; they will hunt and eat fish; and may take frogs and other amphibians, annelid worms, mollusks, insects, spiders, centipedes, reptiles, and potentially other small birds and mammals.

Great-billed Kingfishers on Green Tree
Great-billed Kingfishers on Green Tree

Alternate (Global) Names

Chinese: ???? … Czech: Lednácek cernozobý, led?á?ek ?ernozobý … Danish: Grårygget Storkenæbsisfugl … Dutch: Grootsnavelijsvogel, Grootsnavel-ijsvogel … Estonian: pugal-safiirlind … Finnish: mustanokkakalastaja, Mustavatsakalastaja … French: Martin-chasseur à bec noir … German: Schwarzschnabelgurial, Schwarzschnabelliest, Schwazschnabelliest
Indonesian: Bonkaka, Pekaka Bua-bua, Raja udang perut hitam … Italian: Martin pescatore becconero … Japanese: serebesukouhashishoubin … Norwegian: Sotvingeisfugl … Polish: lowiec czarnodzioby, ?owiec czarnodzioby … Russian: ??????????? ?????? … Slovak: rybárikovec ?iernozobý … Spanish: Alción de Pico Grande, Alción Piquinegro … Swedish: Gråryggad kungsfiskare

Gordon Ramel

Gordon is an ecologist with two degrees from Exeter University. He's also a teacher, a poet and the owner of 1,152 books. Oh - and he wrote this website.

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