Lilac Kingfisher

The Lilac Kingfisher is 28 cm long. It has the typical kingfisher shape, with a short tail and long bill. The adult male of the nominate race, C. c. cyanotis, has a brown crown and back and rufous rump and tail. It has a blue eye mask, separated from the crown by a white line, and a pale lilac ruff of long stiffened ear covert feathers. The underparts are white and the wings are blue, separated by a white line from the brown back. The red bill is large and flattened. In flight, the underwings are white with a black wrist patch.

The Lilac Kingfisher is classified as Near Threatened (NT), is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.

The Lilac Kingfisher is 28 cm (11 inches) long. It has the typical kingfisher shape, with a short tail and long bill. The adult male of the nominate race, C. c. cyanotis, has a brown crown and back and rufous rump and tail. It has a blue eye mask, separated from the crown by a white line, and a pale lilac ruff of long stiffened ear covert feathers. The underparts are white and the wings are blue, separated by a white line from the brown back. More

* Lilac Kingfisher, Cittura cyanotis * Genus Pelargopsis * Brown-winged Kingfisher, Pelargopsis amauropterus * Stork-billed Kingfisher, Pelargopsis capensis * Great-billed Kingfisher, Pelargopsis melanorhyncha White-throated Kingfisher * Genus Halcyon * Ruddy Kingfisher, Halcyon coromanda More

13 Lilac Kingfisher Cittura cyanotis 122 14 Hook-billed Kingfisher Melidora macrorrhina 123 15 Shovel-billed Kingfisher Clytoceyx rex 125 16 Banded Kingfisher Lacedo pulchella 127 17 Rufous-bellied Kookaburra Dacelo gaudichaud 128 18 Spangled Kookaburra Dacelo tyro 130 19 Blue-winged Kookaburra Dacelo leachii 131 20 Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae 133 21 White-rumped Kingfisher Halcyon fulgida 136 22 Stork-billed Kingfisher Halcyon capensis 137 23 Celebes Stork-billed Kingfisher Halcyon melanorhyncha 139 24 Brown-winged Kingfisher Halcyon amauroptera More

The Lilac Kingfisher is unlikely to be confused with any other kingfishers in its range.. Behaviour The Lilac Kingfisher is found in lowland rainforest and drier hill forest up to 1000 m altitude. It perches motionless on a low branch watching for its prey, mainly large insects, on the ground below. Little else is known of the behaviour of this species, and no nests have been found. More

* Lilac Kingfisher, Cittura cyanotis * Brown-winged Kingfisher, Pelargopsis amauropterus * Stork-billed Kingfisher, Pelargopsis capensis : The Stork-billed Kingfisher, Pelargopsis capensis (formerly Halcyon capensis), is a tree kingfisher which is widely but sparsely distributed in tropical south Asia from India and Sri Lanka to Indonesia. This kingfisher is essentially resident throughout its range. More

Lilac Kingfisher Cittura cyanotis = Described by: Temminck (1824) Alternate common name(s): Lilac-cheeked Kingfisher, Blue-eared Kingfisher, Temminck's Kingfisher, Sulawesi Blue-eared Kingfisher, Masked Kingfisher, Celebes Flat-billed Kingfisher Old scientific name(s): None known by website authors Photographs No photographs are available for this species Range Sangihe Is. and Sulawesi; Fragmented distribution; (1) Sangihe Is. (2) N., e. and se. Sulawesi. More