Title: Alcedinidae (Kingfishers)
1Trogoniformes
Meropidae (Bee-eaters)
Momotidae (Motmots)
Todidae (Todies)
Alcedinidae (Kingfishers)
Coraciiformes
Leptosomatidae (Cuckoo-roller)
Coraciidae (Rollers)
Brachypteraciidae (Ground Rollers)
Upupidae (Hoopoes)
Phoeniculidae (Woodhoopoes)
Coliiformes
Bucerotidae (Hornbills)
2Alcedinidae - Kingfishers
- In the suborder Alcidines with the Todies and the
Motmots - 3 subfamiles
- 17 Genera 91 species
- Worldwide excluding polar regions
- Only Coraciiformes in N. America
- 3.9, 0.3 ounce Affrican Dwarf Kingfisher
- 18, 17 ounce Laughing Kookaburra
3Alcedinidae - Kingfishers
- Large heads with long thick bills and short necks
4Alcedinidae - Kingfishers
- Most have rounded wings and short tail
5Alcedinidae - Kingfishers
6Alcedinidae - Kingfishers
- Fishing
- Scan clear water from perch or while hovering
- Dive bill first to capture aquatic prey
- Return to perch beat prey against tree/rock
- Swallow prey head-first
7Alcedinidae - Kingfishers
- Fishing
- Hovering
- Diving
- Eating
8Momotidae (Motmots)
- Alcedininae River kingfishers
- Most of the fishing kingfishers
- 2 Genera 23 spp.
- Old World
Todidae (Todies)
Alcedinidae
- Cerylinae Water Kingfishers
- 3 Genera 9 spp.
- All of the new world kingfishers
- 3 old world spp.
- Daceloninae/Halcyoninae Tree kingfishers
- 12 Genera 59 spp.
- Austalasian, Oriental, Paleoarctic
- Ethiopian
9Alcedinidae - Kingfishers
- 6 New World Species (Cerylinae)
- 3 of those occur in the US
- 2 of those occur in Arizona
10Alcedinidae - Kingfishers
- Arizona species
- Green Kingfisher
Rufous breast
Shaggy crest
White belly
White collar Blue breastband
White collar
Small crest
Rufous bellyband
11Alcedinidae - Kingfishers
- Arizona species
- Green Kingfisher
- Non-migratory
- Secretive
- Fish from perch close to the water
- Fly a few inches above the surface of the water
- Extreme southeast Arizona
- Upper San Pedro
- Santa Cruz, Sonoita Creek, Cienega Creek, Arivaca
Creek
Rufous bellyband
12Alcedinidae - Kingfishers
- Arizona species
- Belted Kingfisher
- Neotropic Migrant
- Loud calls and obvious perches
- Fish from perch or by hovering
- Central to eastern Arizona drainages
- Verde River
- Black River
- Upper Little Colorado River
- Expanding breeding range benefiting from human
activities? - Crayfish
- Construction
Rufous bellyband
13Alcedinidae - Kingfishers
- Habitat requirements (for breeding areas)
- Clear perennial water with reliable food source
- Available nesting microsite
14Alcedinidae - Kingfishers
- Cavity nesters burrows in dirt banks
- River, stream, other water banks
- Road banks
- Gravel pits
- Pair excavates burrow with bills and pulls dirt
out with syndactyl feet - 2-3/3-8 long at an angle upward flood
prevention?
15Alcedinidae - Kingfishers
- Biparental care - male and female
- Build nest cavity
- Incubate eggs
- Feed young (2-3 weeks after fledging)
16Alcedinidae - Kingfishers
- Other notable kingfishers
- Ringed Kingfisher southern Texas
- Larger than Belted
- Rufous breast and smaller crest
- Laughing Kookaburra
- Largest kingfisher at 18
- Distinct laughing song used erroneously in many
movies as a South American/African/Asian jungle
sound (Australian native) - Reverse sexual size dimorphism (female larger)
- Marquesas Kingfisher and Micronesian Kingfisher
are both endangered