Spotted Wood Kingfisher

Overview

The spotted wood kingfisher (Actenoides lindsayi) is a colourful bird endemic to the Philippines. It belongs to the family Alcedinidae and is considered a sister species to the blue-capped and rufous-collared kingfishers.

Identification

• Approximately 26 cm long with dark green upperparts tipped with buff, creating a spotted effect, and white underparts with scalloped markings.
• Males feature a dark green crown with black spots, a pale blue supercilium, and an orange-brown throat, whereas females are duller with green suprciliums.
• The bill has a black upper mandible and a yellow lower mandible, with pale green legs and brown eyes.

Habitat

Endemic to the islands of Luzon, Catanduanes, Marinduque, Negros, and Panay in the Philippines. It inhabits tropical moist lowland forests and primary forests in both lowland and hilly areas, though it has also been recorded in dense scrub and gardens on Negros.

Diet

Feeds on beetles, other insects, snails, and small vertebrates. It forages on the ground within the dense cover of the lower forest storey.

Did you know?

Although it is believed to nest in termite nests in trees, this may not be the case as other members of its genus typically nest in holes in trees or the ground, and little is currently known of its breeding behaviour.