Large kingfisher with variable plumage, but always appears as a much greener and browner bird than either Forest or Sacred kingfishers.
Not listed
At a glance
FamilyKingfishers
SizeMedium
RarityCommon
Habitatopen woodland, closed forest, sparse woodland, woody trees scattered, and grassland
Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from August to January.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Étienne Leroy
Range map
Range map
200approx hotspots
23697approx records
3states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Note pale spot in front of the eyes that does not extend back over the eye. Occur exclusively among mangroves and adjacent mudflats and rock-shelves.
Behavior
Perches quietly along mangrove edges before dropping to mudflats or shallow water to take crabs, fish, and other small prey.
Gallery
Regional timing
Queensland
Northern Territory
Western Australia
New South Wales
Commonly confused with
Buff-breasted Paradise-KingfisherTanysiptera sylviaHead and wings blue, with black ‘eye-mask’ and white stripe running down the back. Juvenile has shorter tail streamers and a black bill. Queensland birds migrate to New Guinea during the middle of the year.→Forest KingfisherTodiramphus macleayiiNote bright white spot in front of the eyes that does not extend back over the eye. In flight shows diagnostic large white wing panels.→