A daily journal.
Mainly introducing wild birds of Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, through photos.

Collared Kingfisher Appears on Ishigaki Island!!

A Collared Kingfisher has turned up on Ishigaki Island. There was previously a Collared Kingfisher that stayed at Manko on Okinawa Main Island from August 2017 through April 2018.

I was posted to the Naha bureau at the time, so I saw more than enough of that bird — but it is good to see one close to home. This individual seems more vivid in colour than the Okinawa Main Island bird.

The Collared Kingfisher is said to have 50 subspecies, and this one also appears to be Todiramphus chloris collaris. This year a Collared Kingfisher was also photographed by a friend on Miyako Island, and what looked like one was reported on another island in the Yaeyamas. This may be a bumper year for Collared Kingfishers. There is a good chance more will turn up elsewhere.

Collared Kingfisher

An adult Collared Kingfisher with a beautiful vivid-blue back. It appears to be in late summer plumage, so if it stays for a while I may get to see it in winter plumage.

Collared Kingfisher

The Collared Kingfisher's underparts are pure white and the legs are black. The subspecies appears to be T. c. collaris, which is distributed in the Philippines and surrounding areas. The individuals that have wintered annually on Okinawa Island, Miyako Island, and in the past on Iriomote Island all look like the same subspecies.

Collared Kingfisher

It came down onto the tidal flat and seemed to be going after crabs. The Collared Kingfisher on Okinawa Island fed exclusively on crabs, but the individual on Ishigaki Island was also eating what appeared to be hermit crabs in addition to crabs.

Categories: 野鳥
Posts with this tag: FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS / SEL14TC / Collared Kingfisher

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