Ryukyu kingfisher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Todiramphus cinnamominus miyakoensis |
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| Conservation status | |
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Extinct (late 19th century)
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Coraciiformes |
| Family: | Alcedinidae |
| Subfamily: | Halcyoninae |
| Genus: | Todiramphus |
| Species: |
T. cinnamominus
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| Subspecies: |
†T. c. miyakoensis
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| Trinomial name | |
| Todiramphus cinnamominus miyakoensis (Kuroda, 1919)
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| Synonyms | |
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The Ryukyu kingfisher (Todiramphus cinnamominus miyakoensis) was a special kind of tree kingfisher. It is now extinct, which means it has completely disappeared from Earth. We only know about this bird from one single specimen, like a preserved example.
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Meet the Ryukyu Kingfisher
A Mysterious Bird
This kingfisher is a bit of a mystery! Scientists are not completely sure if it was its own species or a subspecies of another bird. A subspecies is like a special group within a species. Most experts now think it was a subspecies of the Guam kingfisher. If so, its scientific name would be Todiramphus cinnamominus miyakoensis.
The only known specimen of the Ryukyu kingfisher is kept at the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology. Ornithology is the study of birds. Scientists could use DNA analysis to find out for sure if it was a subspecies. This would help them understand its family tree better. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) already considers it a subspecies. Because of this, it is no longer on their Red List of endangered species.
Where Did It Live?
The single known Ryukyu kingfisher was likely a male bird. Its label says it was collected on February 5, 1887. This happened on Miyako-jima, which is the main island of the Miyako group. These islands are part of the Ryūkyū Shotō in Japan.
Sometimes, labels on old specimens can be wrong. However, the location for this bird makes sense. It is northwest of where other similar kingfishers live. This fits with how animals spread out over time. Labels from later Japanese collectors are usually very accurate. We don't know if this is true for older collections too.
How Was It Different?
The Miyako-jima bird was very similar to the Guam kingfisher. The Guam kingfisher is now only found in zoos. There were only a few small differences. The Ryukyu kingfisher did not have a black band on the back of its neck. Also, its feet were red, while Guam kingfishers have black feet.
The color of its beak is unknown because the specimen is damaged. Some people thought its wing feathers were different. But this was probably just because of how the bird was prepared. In fact, scientists did not realize this bird was unique until about 30 years after it was collected!
Why Did It Disappear?
If the Ryukyu kingfisher truly lived on Miyako-jima, it likely became extinct in the late 1800s. There was also good habitat on a nearby island called Irabu-jima. So, it might have lived there too.
Its population must have always been very small. There was not much good habitat available for these birds. Scientists looked for the bird again in the early 1900s but could not find it. The main reasons for its disappearance were human activities. People cleared land and drained wetlands to create farms. This destroyed the kingfisher's home.
