Javan kingfisher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Javan kingfisher |
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The Javan kingfisher (Halcyon cyanoventris) is a colorful bird found only on the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali. People sometimes call it the blue-bellied kingfisher or Java kingfisher. It's a medium-sized bird that belongs to a group called tree kingfishers.
This bright bird has a big head and a strong beak, like most kingfishers. But unlike some of its relatives, it doesn't hunt much in the water. Instead, it catches most of its food on land or near the water's edge. Javan kingfishers are very protective of their homes. They lay their round, white eggs in tunnels they dig into dirt walls and riverbanks.
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About the Javan Kingfisher
The Javan kingfisher got its first scientific name in 1818 from a French ornithologist (a bird scientist) named Louis Pierre Vieillot. Later, in 1821, another scientist named William Swainson created a new group, or genus, called Halcyon. This group was for kingfishers with strong, thick beaks.
Today, the Javan kingfisher is still in the Halcyon group. This name comes from a bird in old Greek stories. The Halcyon group includes 11 types of large, heavy-billed kingfishers. These kingfishers usually live in forests and mostly eat small land animals, not fish.
People in Indonesia have special names for the Javan kingfisher. They call it "cekakak jawa," "cekakak gunung," or just "cekakak." These names come from the sharp, chattering sounds the bird makes.
What Does the Javan Kingfisher Look Like?
The Javan kingfisher is a medium-sized bird, about 25 to 27 centimeters long when it's fully grown. It has a bright red beak that stands out. Its eyes, head, throat, and neck are dark brown. The rest of its body is purple.
Its wings and tail are a bright turquoise color. When it flies, you can see white patches on its wings. Its feet are dark red. Male and female Javan kingfishers look very similar. Young kingfishers are not as bright. They have brownish-orange beaks and whitish throats. Young birds in the Halcyon group often have light stripes or spots that disappear as they get older.
The Javan kingfisher's call sounds like "cekakakak cekakakak cekakakak." This is why it has its local name, Cekakak. Some people describe its call as a loud scream that you can hear from far away. Other ways to write its call include "tjie-rie-rie-rie-rie-rie" or "cheree-cheree."
Where Do Javan Kingfishers Live?
The Javan kingfisher lives only on the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali. It does not fly to other places for different seasons; it stays in the same area all year. You can find these birds in many different places. They live in grassy fields, fish ponds, rice paddies, and wet areas like marshes. They also live in coastal bushes, mangrove forests, and open dry forests.
You might even see them in city parks, gardens, and fruit farms. They live near the coast but usually stay away from saltwater. They don't like thick, wet tropical forests unless roads or buildings have created open spaces. This is because kingfishers need open areas to hunt. Cities and towns with enough trees can also be good homes for them.
Unlike many other kingfishers, the Javan kingfisher does not need to be very close to water. They usually live below 1500 meters above sea level. However, one study found them living much higher, at almost 2500 meters, on Mount Lawu in Java.
Javan Kingfisher Behaviour
Like all kingfishers, the Javan kingfisher is very protective of its home area. They usually live alone and are a bit shy around people. They do not move to different places during the year.
How Javan Kingfishers Find Food
Javan kingfishers hunt by sitting still and waiting. They like to sit on single branches or exposed spots at the edge of a forest. They don't like to hunt inside thick forests. Kingfishers move their heads to watch their prey because their eyes don't move much.
Once a kingfisher sees something to eat, it waits for the perfect moment. Then, it swoops down quickly to catch its prey with its big beak. After catching the food, it flies back to its perch. Sometimes, it will hit its prey against a branch to kill it or make it softer to eat.
Like other Halcyon kingfishers, the Javan kingfisher prefers to eat insects and small animals found on land or at the water's edge. They are not as good at hunting in the water as some other kingfishers. Their diet can include fish, frogs, reptiles, freshwater shrimp, and many types of insects. What they eat most likely depends on what food is available where they live.
When they have babies, Javan kingfishers change what they feed their young. Very young chicks get soft foods like worms. As they grow, they start eating small fish, reptiles, and bigger insects.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
The Javan kingfisher's nesting season is from March to September, though some say it starts in February. These months are mostly Indonesia's dry season.
H. cyanoventris lays 3 to 5 eggs at a time. The eggs are almost perfectly round and pure white. Like most kingfishers, they build their nests in a hole at the end of a tunnel. They dig these tunnels into dirt walls or riverbanks, often in sunny, open places. The entrance to the tunnel is usually 1.5 to 3 meters above the ground. This helps keep their nests safe from animals that might try to eat the eggs. The tunnels are usually 40 centimeters to 1 meter long.
Baby kingfishers are born naked and blind. But they grow very fast and usually leave the nest in less than a month. A single Javan kingfisher can lay eggs up to four times in one breeding season.
Scientists still don't know a lot about how Javan kingfishers reproduce. This is because the birds are shy, and it's hard to watch their nests closely.
Javan Kingfisher Status
The IUCN Red List, which tracks how safe animal populations are, currently says the Javan kingfisher is a species of "least concern." This means they believe the bird lives in a very large area and its population is not dropping quickly.
However, the Javan kingfisher was once considered "near threatened" in 1988. Its population is generally thought to be going down. People noticed fewer kingfishers as early as 1970 in a national park in Java. They have also disappeared from some local areas. But more recently, Javan kingfishers have been seen living in city parks. Even large groups of kingfishers in faraway places are in danger as more land is developed. Java has lost many of its forests, and there are not many natural protected areas left.
The Javan Kingfisher used to be protected by Indonesian laws. But even with protection, people often caught, caged, and sold these birds in markets. They are not good pets for cages. In 2018, the Indonesian government removed protections for Javan kingfishers. This was because of the "least concern" finding. This decision has led to calls for more studies to truly understand the bird's population and safety.
Another problem for the Javan kingfisher is the use of pesticides. These chemicals are used in fruit farms and other farming areas where the birds are often seen.
What Scientists Need to Study Next
Scientists need to do more complete studies to find out how many Javan kingfishers there are and if their numbers are changing. This will help them properly understand how safe the species is. More research into specific areas where the population is dropping could also show what is threatening the birds.
More studies are also needed on how pesticides affect Javan kingfishers and other birds that live in cities and farms. As Indonesia continues to grow, research into making cities more bird-friendly is very important. Scientists also need to study how to create more protected areas to keep Java's wildlife healthy.
