River kingfishers

Kingfisher ( Alcedo atthis)

The Kingfishers ( alcedinidae ) are a family ( or one of three kingfishers families: the authentics kingfishers, alcedinidae, the tree kingfishers, Halcyonidae, and the water kingfishers, Cerylidae ) with about 90 species. The greatest species diversity is found in tropical and subtropical regions, some species are but penetrated into the cold temperate regions, especially North and South America.

Description

Kingfishers are small to medium-sized, usually colorful birds. Your name perform many authors back to the ice-blue plumage of several species. The main species traits are the beak and the feet. The latter are very short and syndaktyl - the front ( the third and fourth) toes are grown together on the majority of its length. The second toe is often reduced or no training. The beak is usually big and strong and tapering to the front.

The shape of the beak varies and depends on the food from: The fish-eating species of the subfamilies of fishing birds ( Cerylinae ) and the actual kingfishers ( Alcedininae ) is straight and extends to pointed toe. The Kookaburra ( Dacelo ) is rather broad and not so long and to crush their prey ( small mammals and reptiles ) are suitable. A special feature is the hook Reads ( Melidora macrorrhina ), which specializes in prey under the earth, and accordingly has a beak with a hook-like tip. The frog beak Reads ( Clytoceyx rex ) ransacked with its powerful, short and broad bill the soil by earthworms. The size varies greatly - from small, four inches long and about ten gram brown-headed Kingfisher ( Ceyx lecontei ) to more than 40 inches long and 400 grams heavy species such as the African Giant Kingfisher ( Megaceryle maxima) or the Laughing Hans ( Dacelo novaeguinaeae ).

Most species live in Africa, Asia and Australia's tropics. In Europe, only one species is native, the kingfisher (Alcedo atthis).

Partial order Eisvogelartige ( Alcediniformes ) is separated from the Racke birds, the kingfishers, Sägeracken, Todi and bee-eaters are counted in the.

Kingfishers live in both the forest and the water. The Laughing Hans, with 45 cm of the world's largest kingfisher, is a forest bird of Australia. In contrast, the European kingfisher lives on the water.

Kingfishers that live on the water, hunt small fish by diving flights. They feed on frogs and insects. Waldeisvögel eat reptiles.

Internal system

The phylogeny of kingfishers ( alcedinidae ) was reconstructed by comparing mitochrialer and nuclear DNA sequences from 38 representative species. So the Australian region and the Pacific islands have indeed the highest population density, but the diversity of species reflects not a long history in the region. Nevertheless, the high density and distribution in Australia is attributed to relatively early emigration from South Asia. Thus, the preferred explanation for the origin of New World taxa is scattered in two events in the Old World. Within the genus Halcyon phylogeny is well researched and gives insights into the general relations. Thus, it supports the separation of Todiramphus and Halcyon. In addition Todiramphus and Syma are just as sister genera, such as Halcyon and pelargopsis. Thus, the association or retention of these groups is a rather subjective decision. The common boundaries between Ceyx and Alcedo seem that the investigation represent no natural groups, the relationships within the alcedinidae are not yet fully understood.

• Subfamily Actual kingfishers ( Alcedininae ) Alcedo - 17 species: Kingfisher ( Alcedo atthis)
• Hercules Kingfisher ( Alcedo hercules )
• Cobalt Kingfisher ( Alcedo semitorquata )
• Schillereisvogel (Alcedo quadribrachys )
• Meninting Kingfisher (Alcedo Meninting )
• Azur Fischer ( Alcedo azurea )
• Bismarck Fischer ( Alcedo websteri )
• Chest band Kingfisher ( Alcedo euryzona )
• Blue chest Fischer ( Alcedo cyanopecta )
• Silberfischer (Alcedo argentata )
• Sao Tomé Kingfisher (Alcedo thomensis )
• Principe Kingfisher (Alcedo nais )
• Turquoise Fischer ( Alcedo coerulescens )
• Papua Fischer ( Alcedo pusilla )

• Forest Fischer ( Ceyx lepidus )
• Jungle Fischer ( Ceyx erithacus)
• Rotrückenfischer ( Ceyx rufidorsa )
• Gold Fishing ( Ceyx melanurus )
• Rust Fischer ( Ceyx fallax )

• Dwarf Kingfisher ( Ispidina picta)
• Brown-headed Kingfisher ( Ispidina lecontei )

• Madagascar fishermen ( Corythornis madagascariensis )
• White-bellied Kingfisher ( Corythornis leucogaster )
• Malachite Kingfisher and Malachite Kingfisher ( Corythornis cristatus)
• Madagascar Kingfisher or Black-billed Kingfisher ( Corythornis vintsioides )

• Lacedo - 1 Type: Wave Reads ( Lacedo pulchella )

• Frog beak Reads ( Clytoceyx rex )

• Hook Reads ( Melidora macrorrhina )

• Blauohr Reads ( Cittura cyanotis )

• Jägerliest or Kookaburra ( Laughing Kookaburra )
• Hood Reads ( Dacelo leachii )
• Aruliest ( Dacelo tyro )
• Rotbauchliest ( Dacelo Gaudichaud )

• Brown wings Reads ( pelargopsis amauroptera )
• Cranesbill Reads ( pelargopsis capensis )
• Manx Reads ( pelargopsis melanorhyncha )

• Fire Reads (Halcyon coromanda )
• Chestnut Reads (Halcyon badia )
• Brown Reads (Halcyon smyrnensis )
• Cap Reads (Halcyon pileata )
• Java Reads (Halcyon cyanoventris )
• Grey -headed Kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala )
• Senegal Reads (Halcyon senegalensis )
• Mangrove Reads (Halcyon senegaloides )
• Breasted kingfisher (Halcyon malimbica )
• Brown -headed Kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris )
• Striped Kingfisher (Halcyon chelicuti )

• Dark Reads ( Todiramphus nigrocyaneus )
• Rotnackenliest ( Todiramphus winchelli )
• Glaze Reads ( Todiramphus Diop )
• Lazuliliest ( Todiramphus lazuli )
• Mirror Reads ( Todiramphus macleayii )
• White-backed Reads ( Todiramphus albonotatus )
• Ultramarine Reads ( Todiramphus leucopygius )
• Braunbauch Reads ( Todiramphus farquhari )
• Rotbürzelliest ( Todiramphus pyrrhopygia )
• Flat beak Reads ( Todiramphus recurvirostris )
• Zimtkopfliest ( Todiramphus cinnamominus )
• Moluccas Reads ( Todiramphus funebris )
• Collar Reads ( Todiramphus chloris ) or (Halcyon chloris )
• Talautliest ( Todiramphus enigma )
• Lizards Reads ( Todirhamphus saurophaga )
• Timor Reads ( Todirhamphus australasia )
• Götz Reads ( Todirhamphus sanctus )
• Tahiti Reads ( Todirhamphus Veneratus )
• Mangaialiest ( Todirhamphus ruficollaris )
• Bora Bora Reads ( Todirhamphus tuta )
• Marquesasliest ( Todirhamphus godeffroyi )
• Tuamotuliest ( Todirhamphus gambieri )

• Glitter Reads ( Caridonax fulgidus )

• Bart Reads ( Actenoides bougainvillei )
• Malays Reads ( Actenoides concretus )
• Drops Reads ( Actenoides lindsayi )
• Mindanaoliest ( Actenoides hombroni )
• Hermit Reads ( Actenoides monachus)
• King Reads ( Actenoides princeps)

• Cory Reads ( Syma torotoro )
• Mountain Reads ( Syma megarhyncha )

• Feenliest ( Tanysiptera hydro charis )
• Spatelliest ( Tanysiptera galatea )
• Elliotliest ( Tanysiptera ellioti )
• Biakliest ( Tanysiptera riedelii )
• Numforliest ( Tanysiptera carolinae )
• Nymph Reads ( Tanysiptera nympha )
• Brown coat Reads ( Tanysiptera danae )
• Paradise Reads ( Tanysiptera sylvia )

• Long-tailed Fischer ( Megaceryle ) - 4 types: Belted Kingfisher ( Megaceryle alcyon ) or ( Ceryle alcyon )
• Giant Kingfisher ( Megaceryle maxima)
• Ringed Kingfisher ( Megaceryle torquata ) or ( Ceryle torquatus )
• Mourning Fischer ( Megaceryle lugubris )

• Pied Kingfisher ( Ceryle rudis )

• Amazon Kingfisher ( Chloroceryle amazona )
• Green Fischer ( Chloroceryle americana)
• Two-color Fischer ( Chloroceryle inda )
• Erzfischer ( Chloroceryle Aenea )

Mythology

In Greek mythology, the fifty daughters of the Cypriot king Cinyras were transformed into kingfishers. The kingfisher was connected with the sea and dominated the halcyon days before the start of the autumn storms. Some Eisvogelgattungen therefore have their scientific name: Halcyon of Alcyone, daughter of Aeolus and Enarete, and Ceyx of Ceyx, husband of Alcyone.