Blue-eared Kingfisher

Overview

The blue-eared kingfisher (Alcedo meninting) is a 16-centimetre-long bird native to Asia, ranging across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Adults feature darker and more intense cobalt-blue upperparts with rich rufous underparts and distinctive blue ear coverts.
• Males have an all-dark bill, whereas females possess a reddish lower mandible.
• Juveniles display rufous ear coverts and mottling on the throat and upper breast that fades with maturity.
• Young birds have a reddish bill with whitish tips.

Habitat

This species primarily inhabits dense shaded evergreen forests and occasionally mangroves, often staying under 1,000 metres in altitude. Its range extends from India eastwards through Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

Diet

The bird perches on overhanging branches to dive into small streams and capture fish, crustaceans, and dragonfly larvae. It also consumes other insects such as grasshoppers and mantids.

Did you know?

The species name meninting is derived from the Javanese language. Breeding in India typically occurs in tunnels dug into the banks of forest streams, where clutches of five to seven eggs are laid.