About the Sacred Kingfisher
The sacred kingfisher is a medium-sized woodland kingfisher that occurs in mangroves, woodlands, forests and river valleys in Australia, New Zealand and other parts of the western Pacific.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The sacred kingfisher is mostly blue-green to turquoise above with white underparts and collar feathers, a black mask and buff lores. Both sexes are similar, but females are usually greener, duller and less buff beneath, and juveniles have buff or mottled brown edges on the collar, underparts and upper-wing coverts. Adults are 20–23 cm (7.9–9.1 in) long. Males weigh 28–61 g (1.0–2.2 oz) and females 28–56 g (1.0–2.0 oz).
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Wallis & Futuna.
When to see it
Peak activity in October · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Collared KingfisherTodiramphus chlorisThe collared kingfisher is 23 to 25 cm (9.1 to 9.8 in) long and the male weighs 51 to 90 g (1.8 to 3.2 oz), while the female weighs 54–100 g (1.9–3.5 oz).
Forest KingfisherTodiramphus macleayiiThe forest kingfisher measures 21.5–25.5 cm (8.5–10.0 in) in length and the male weighs 32–43 g (1.1–1.5 oz) while the female weighs 29–44 g (1.0–1.6 oz).
Red-backed KingfisherTodiramphus pyrrhopygiusThe red-backed kingfisher measures 20 to 24 cm (7.9 to 9.4 in); the male weighs 45–70 g (1.6–2.5 oz) and the female 41–62 g (1.4–2.2 oz).
Side by side: Pied Kingfisher vs Sacred Kingfisher · Collared Kingfisher vs Sacred Kingfisher
Learn the Sacred Kingfisher for real
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