Kingfisher (Cont....)

GREAT BLUE KINGFISHER Alcedo hercules Laubmann
Size Myna; length 20 cm (8 in.).
Field Characters Superficially an enlarged version of  the commoner  Small Blue Kingfisher; also with short stumpy tail  and long,  straight,  pointed blackish bill. Overall  brilliant  blue green  above,  deep ferruginous (rust-coloured)  below  excepting white  chin and throat. Diagnostic pointer: Crown and nape  black closely  barred with bluish white. A white stripe down each  side of neck. A broad band along middle of back bright pale blue, tail deep blue-very conspicuous in flight. Sexes alike.
Status,  Habitat,etc. Resident. Rare: duars and  foothills up  to  1200 m: shady stream in dense evergreen jungle.  Shy  and difficult  to  observe,  thus little  specifically  known.  Keeps singly  perched on low bushes overhanging a rapid forest  stream, plunges on quarry swimming past.
Food: Fishes and aquatic insects.
Call:  imperfectly  known.  Recorded as  like  the  piping chichee chichee of the Small Blue daching over the  water, but louder and less shrill.

BLUE-EARED KINGFISHER Alcedo menning Horsfield
Size Sparrow; length 16cm (6 in).
Field  Characters  The forest counterpart  of  the  better known  Small Blue Kingfisher of opener country. Slightly  smaller and  much  darker: deep purplish blue above, and with  blue  ear-covers  instead  of  rusty  (subspecies  coltarty.   Sexes alike.
Status, Habitat, etc. Resident. Uncommon; duars and  foothills, normally up to 1000 m, occasionally to 1500 m: dense shady hill-stream  in evergreen or heavy bamboo forest. Perches on  low herbage overhanging water, bobbing its head and switching up  the stumpy tail from time to time. Hunts by plunging vertically  upon passing  quay,  emerging and flying up with it to the same  of  a nearby perch where it is barred before being swallowed.
Food: tiny fishes and aquatic insects.
Call:  a  shrill chichee chichee  like  Small  Blue Kingfisher's sharper, uttered in flight.

THREETOED FOREST KINGFISHER
Ceyx erithacus(Linnaeus)
Size Sparrow; length 13 cm(5 in.).
Field Characters A diminutive resplendent forest kingfisher with  bright coral-red bill and feet. Above, mantle  glistening  dark purple-blue or lilac; back and rump  brilliant  amethyst.  A deep patch on each side of head.  Below,  bright orange-yellow. A rufous patch on underwing conspicuous in flight. Sexes alike.
Status,  Habitat, etc. Resident, subject  to  considerable local dispersal during rainy season-duars and foothills, normally up to 1000 m: shady jungle streamlets, trickles, puddles, etc. in moist-deciduous  and  evergreen biotope.  Keeps  singly,  perched quietly  on some secluded rock or low branch by  water,  flashing like  a  jewel  as it dashes away on alarm  through  the  dappled sunshine.  Hunts in typical manner of small  kingfishers-plunging from perch on quarry sailing past.

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