Spotted Wood Kingfisher
A species of Actenoides Forest Kingfishers Scientific name : Actenoides lindsayi Genus : Actenoides Forest Kingfishers
Spotted Wood Kingfisher, A species of Actenoides Forest Kingfishers
Botanical name: Actenoides lindsayi
Genus: Actenoides Forest Kingfishers
Content
Description General Info
Description
The spotted wood kingfisher is a colourful bird that can readily be distinguished from other kingfishers in the Philippines. It is about 26 cm (10 in) long with spotting above and scalloping beneath. The male has a dark green crown with black spots and a light green stripe above a pale blue supercilium with a black band beneath. A blue moustache is bordered above and below by an orange-brown band and collar. The upper parts are dark green, each feather being tipped with buff giving a spotted effect. The rump is bright green and the tail dark green with brown bars on the outer feathers. The throat is orange-brown and the underparts are mainly white, the breast feathers having green margins. The under-wing coverts are buff. The upper mandible of the bill is black and the lower mandible yellow, the iris is brown and the legs pale green. The female is similar in appearance but less brightly coloured, the supercilium is green rather than blue, the moustache brownish-green, the hind-neck collar brownish-black and the throat the same colour as the breast. The juvenile resembles the female but has a generally duller colouration.
Size
26 cm
Feeding Habits
Spotted Wood Kingfisher primarily feeds on insects like beetles, snails, and occasionally small vertebrates. It forages by perching low in dim forest areas and likely catches prey on the ground, showcasing unique adaptations for its shaded habitat.
Habitat
The spotted Wood Kingfisher typically inhabits primary and secondary lowland and hill rainforests, often found in proximity to forest streams. While the specific elevation range is excluded from this description, the species is generally associated with lush, dense vegetation and may occasionally venture into dense scrub within garden areas in broader regions of rainforest distribution.
Dite type
Insectivorous
General Info
Distribution Area
The spotted wood kingfisher is endemic to the Philippines where it is present on Luzon, Catanduanes, Marinduque, Negros and Panay. It inhabits moist primary forest in both lowland and hilly areas. It was more abundant on Luzon in the past but logging has reduced the area of suitable habitat.
Species Status
This bird has a wide range but its population is suspected to be in slow decline because of the destruction of suitable habitat. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as "least concern" because the decline in its numbers is thought to be insufficiently rapid to warrant placing it in a more threatened category.