birdsKingfishers

Indigo-banded Kingfishers

Indigo-banded Kingfishers

The Indigo-banded Kingfishers (Alcedo cyanopectus) is a River Kingfisher that is endemic to the Philippines, where it is a generally uncommon but locally common resident of the northern and central islands.

Indigo-banded Kingfishers Perched on the Rock
Indigo-banded Kingfisher Perched on the Rock

There are two subspecies, the nominate race, which occurs in Luzon, Polillo, Mindoro, Sibuyan and Ticao, and A. c. nigriostris, which is found in Panay, Negros and Cebu.

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests.

It forms a superspecies with the Silvery Kingfisher of the southern Philippines.

Diet / Feeding

The Indigo-banded Kingfishers feed on fish and aquatic insects.

It perches on rocks and overhanging branches and foliage and dives steeply into the water to catch its prey. Once caught, it returns the prey to the perch where it is beaten and swallowed.

Breeding / Nesting

Little is known about its breeding behaviour, although it is known to nest in tunnels dug into the banks of streams and rivers.

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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