Alcedinidae Kingfishers

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Trogoniformes
Meropidae (Bee-eaters)
Momotidae (Motmots)
Todidae (Todies)
Alcedinidae (Kingfishers)
Coraciiformes
Leptosomatidae (Cuckoo-roller)
Coraciidae (Rollers)
Brachypteraciidae (Ground Rollers)
Upupidae (Hoopoes)
Phoeniculidae (Woodhoopoes)
Coliiformes
Bucerotidae (Hornbills)
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Alcedinidae - Kingfishers

• In the suborder Alcidines with the Todies and the
  Motmots
  
• 3 subfamiles
• 17 Genera 91 species
• Worldwide excluding polar regions
• Only Coraciiformes in N. America
• 3.9, 0.3 ounce Affrican Dwarf Kingfisher
• 18, 17 ounce Laughing Kookaburra

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Alcedinidae - Kingfishers

• Large heads with long thick bills and short
  necks
  

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Alcedinidae - Kingfishers

• Most have rounded wings and short tail

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Alcedinidae - Kingfishers

• Small, syndactyl feet

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Alcedinidae - Kingfishers

• Fishing
• Scan clear water from perch or while hovering
• Dive bill first to capture aquatic prey
• Return to perch beat prey against tree/rock
• Swallow prey head-first

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Alcedinidae - Kingfishers

• Fishing
• Hovering
• Diving
• Eating

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Momotidae (Motmots)

• Alcedininae River kingfishers
• Most of the fishing kingfishers
• 2 Genera 23 spp.
• Old World

Todidae (Todies)
Alcedinidae

• Cerylinae Water Kingfishers
• 3 Genera 9 spp.
• All of the new world kingfishers
• 3 old world spp.

• Daceloninae/Halcyoninae Tree kingfishers
• 12 Genera 59 spp.
• Austalasian, Oriental, Paleoarctic
• Ethiopian

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Alcedinidae - Kingfishers

• 6 New World Species (Cerylinae)
• 3 of those occur in the US
• 2 of those occur in Arizona

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Alcedinidae - Kingfishers

• Arizona species
• Green Kingfisher

• Belted Kingfisher

Rufous breast
Shaggy crest
White belly
White collar Blue breastband
White collar
Small crest
Rufous bellyband
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Alcedinidae - Kingfishers

• Arizona species
• Green Kingfisher
• Non-migratory
• Secretive
• Fish from perch close to the water
• Fly a few inches above the surface of the water
• Extreme southeast Arizona
• Upper San Pedro
• Santa Cruz, Sonoita Creek, Cienega Creek, Arivaca
  Creek

Rufous bellyband
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Alcedinidae - Kingfishers

• Arizona species
• Belted Kingfisher
• Neotropic Migrant
• Loud calls and obvious perches
• Fish from perch or by hovering
• Central to eastern Arizona drainages
• Verde River
• Black River
• Upper Little Colorado River
• Expanding breeding range benefiting from human
  activities?
  
• Crayfish
• Construction

Rufous bellyband
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Alcedinidae - Kingfishers

• Habitat requirements (for breeding areas)
• Clear perennial water with reliable food source
• Available nesting microsite

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Alcedinidae - Kingfishers

• Cavity nesters burrows in dirt banks
• River, stream, other water banks
• Road banks
• Gravel pits
• Pair excavates burrow with bills and pulls dirt
  out with syndactyl feet
  
• 2-3/3-8 long at an angle upward flood
  prevention?

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Alcedinidae - Kingfishers

• Biparental care - male and female
• Build nest cavity
• Incubate eggs
• Feed young (2-3 weeks after fledging)

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Alcedinidae - Kingfishers

• Other notable kingfishers
• Ringed Kingfisher southern Texas
• Larger than Belted
• Rufous breast and smaller crest
• Laughing Kookaburra
• Largest kingfisher at 18
• Distinct laughing song used erroneously in many
  movies as a South American/African/Asian jungle
  sound (Australian native)
  
• Reverse sexual size dimorphism (female larger)
• Marquesas Kingfisher and Micronesian Kingfisher
  are both endangered