Indigo-banded kingfisher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Indigo-banded kingfisher |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Ceyx
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| Species: |
cyanopectus
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| Subspecies | |
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The Indigo-banded kingfisher (scientific name: Ceyx cyanopectus) is a beautiful bird from the kingfisher family. These special birds live only in the Philippines. They are not very common, but you can find them in many places across the northern and central islands.
Where They Live
The Indigo-banded kingfisher has two main types, called subspecies. Think of them like different groups within the same bird family.
One group is called C. c. cyanopectus. You can find these birds on islands like Luzon, Polillo, Mindoro, Sibuyan, and Ticao.
The other group is C. c. nigriostris. These kingfishers live on Panay, Negros, and Cebu. Sadly, they might no longer be found on Cebu.
What They Eat
The Indigo-banded kingfisher loves to eat fish and water insects. They are very skilled hunters!
These birds often sit quietly on rocks or branches hanging over the water. When they spot a tasty meal, they dive very fast and steeply into the water.
After catching their prey, they fly back to their perch. They will then hit the food against the branch to make sure it's ready to swallow.
Reproduction and Habitat
We don't know a lot about how these kingfishers raise their young. However, we do know that they build their nests in tunnels. They dig these tunnels into the banks of streams and rivers.
Their favorite places to live are warm, dry forests. They also like mangrove forests, which are special forests that grow in salty water near the coast.
