Scaly-breasted Kingfisher
A species of Actenoides Forest Kingfishers Scientific name : Actenoides princeps Genus : Actenoides Forest Kingfishers
Scaly-breasted Kingfisher, A species of Actenoides Forest Kingfishers
Botanical name: Actenoides princeps
Genus: Actenoides Forest Kingfishers
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Don Roberson 
Description
The adult scaly-breasted kingfisher measures about 24 cm (9 in) in length. It has a blue head and reddish-brown collar, and the female has a buff-coloured forehead. The back is dark brown scalloped with buff. The underparts are plain whitish-buff in the male and are barred with darker colour in the female. Birds in the northeast of the range have horn-coloured bills, northwestern birds have red bills, and southern birds have orange and brown bills. Also some differences are seen between the subspecies in the detail of the plumage. The only bird with which this species might be confused is the green-backed kingfisher (Actenoides monachus), also present in Sulawesi, but that species is usually found at lower altitudes and has a dark-green back and reddish-brown underparts. 
Size
25 cm
Feeding Habits
Scaly-breasted Kingfisher's diet mainly includes insects like beetles and cicadas, along with small lizards. They exhibit specific foraging methods to hunt these prey.
Habitat
The habitat of scaly-breasted Kingfisher is primarily found in primary and tall secondary hill and montane forests. This bird thrives typically in areas that provide the dense, lush environments of lower forest strata, as well as the lower canopy and midstorey, favoring the shelters provided by the thick vegetation found in these habitats across broader tropical regions.
Dite type
Insectivorous
General Info
Behavior
The call of the scaly-breasted kingfisher, a series of mournful whistles, is more likely to be heard around dawn than later in the day. It perches on a branch in the forest and periodically makes short flights with its wings creating a whirring noise. It feeds on beetles and other small invertebrates. One female was observed to eat a lizard. It is believed to nest in holes in earth banks.
Distribution Area
The scaly-breasted kingfisher is endemic to the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. Two subspecies are found in moist, montane forests, A. p. princeps from the northeast of the island and A. p. erythrorhamphus from the northwest and central parts. A. p. regalis is found in the southeast, but is now regarded as its own species, the plain-backed kingfisher. In the Minahassa Peninsula of northern Sulawesi, the nominate subspecies is found in the Gunung Ambang Nature Reserve in primary forest at elevations between 1,050 and 1,550 metres (3,440 and 5,090 ft) above sea level. Its habitat is the dense understorey of undisturbed primary forest.
Species Status
The scaly-breasted kingfisher has a somewhat restricted range in Indonesia and its population size is believed to be decreasing due to habitat loss, and is considered to be near threatened by the IUCN.
Photo By Don Roberson 
Scientific Classification
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