Chattering kingfisher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chattering kingfisher |
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| illustration by John Gerrard Keulemans | |
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Todiramphus
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| Species: |
tutus
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The chattering kingfisher (Todiramphus tutus) is a beautiful bird that belongs to the kingfisher family, called Alcedinidae. This special bird lives on islands in the Cook Islands and the Society Islands. These islands are part of French Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean.
What's in a Name?
The chattering kingfisher got its official name in 1788. A German scientist named Johann Friedrich Gmelin formally described it. He put it in a group of kingfishers called Alcedo. He also gave it the scientific name Alcedo tuta.
Gmelin based his description on notes from an English bird expert, John Latham. Latham had described a "revered kingfisher" in 1782. He noted that people in Polynesia respected and protected these kingfishers. The word tutus in its name is Latin and means "revered" or "protected."
Today, the chattering kingfisher is part of a different group, or genus, called Todiramphus. This group has about 30 different kingfisher species. The name Todiramphus combines the name of another bird group, Todus, with an Ancient Greek word, rhamphos, which means "bill."
Scientists have studied the DNA of these birds. They found that the chattering kingfisher is closely related to two other kingfisher species. These are the Niau kingfisher (T. gertrudae) and the society kingfisher (T. veneratus). Both of these birds also live on islands in eastern Polynesia.
There are three slightly different types, or subspecies, of the chattering kingfisher:
- T. t. tutus: This type lives in the central Society Islands.
- T. t. atiu: You can find this type on Atiu island in the eastern Cook Islands.
- T. t. mauke: This type lives on Mauke island, also in the eastern Cook Islands.
How to Spot It
The chattering kingfisher looks a bit like the collared kingfisher. However, it is smaller. It also doesn't have any rusty orange colors in its plumage (feathers).
Its chest and throat are white. Its back, wings, and the top of its head (crown) are a pretty blue-green color. The type found on Atiu island has a crown that is almost completely white. You can tell it apart from the Tahiti kingfisher because the chattering kingfisher has a full white collar around its neck.
Where It Lives
This kingfisher naturally lives in warm, wet forests. It prefers lowland forests and forests found on mountains. It especially likes primary forests in mountain valleys. These are forests that have not been cut down much by humans.
However, the chattering kingfisher can also live in areas where forests have grown back. It can even be found in old plantations. The bird is not found everywhere in these areas. Its population is spread out unevenly. Even so, scientists do not think it is in danger of disappearing. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) lists it as "Least Concern."
Its Habits
The chattering kingfisher usually lives alone or in pairs. It hunts for its food, which includes insects and lizards. It catches them either while flying or from the ground. These birds make their nests inside holes in trees.
