Beach Kingfisher
Todiramphus saurophagus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCoraciiformes (Rollers, Kingfishers, and Allies)
- FamilyAlcedinidae (Kingfishers)
- GenusTodiramphus (Indo-Pacific Kingfishers)
- SpeciesTodiramphus saurophagus (Beach Kingfisher)
About the Beach Kingfisher
The beach kingfisher (Todiramphus saurophagus) is a species of bird in the kingfisher family Alcedinidae. It is closely related to members of the collared kingfisher species complex, specifically the Melanesian kingfisher, but it is twice the size of members of that complex found close to it. The beach kingfisher has two subspecies, the widespread nominate race and T. s. admiralitatis of the Admiralty Islands.
The beach kingfisher is found from North Moluccan Islands in Indonesia, along the northern and southwestern coasts and islands of New Guinea, around New Britain and New Ireland and Solomon Islands from Bougainville to Makira. Within its range it is found on beaches, cliffs and headlands, as well as mangrove forests, more rarely inland in coconut plantations and gardens. During the dry season some birds are partially migratory, moving from offshore islands to the mainland of New Guinea.
The beach kingfisher is a large kingfisher, 30 cm (12 in) in length and weighing between 90–146 g (3.2–5.1 oz) (with the smallest males being smaller than the smallest females). The plumage of the sexes are the same, with the head, neck and underparts are all white, except for a small black line behind the eye, and the back, wings and uppertail are gree-blue. The subspecies T. s. admiralitatis is the same as the nominate, except it has variable amounts of green-blue feathers in the crown.
The beach kingfisher takes a variety of prey, with the tides influencing its foraging habits. During low tide it will forage for crabs from beaches, but when the tide is high it takes lizards and insects from under trees just off the coast. Beach kingfishers typically hunt from an exposed perch, swooping down when prey is found, but can also hover and dive for fish up to 100 m (330 ft) from shore. Beach kingfishers nest in holes in tree trunks of branches, 3–5 m (9.8–16.4 ft) off the ground. They apparently have a nesting season of between August and December in New Guinea, and pairs lay between two to four eggs. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Raja Ampat
Sacred Kingfisher
Todiramphus sanctus
Blue-black Kingfisher
Todiramphus nigrocyaneus
Collared Kingfisher
Todiramphus chloris
Rufous-bellied Kookaburra
Dacelo gaudichaud
Common Paradise-Kingfisher
Tanysiptera galatea
Yellow-billed Kingfisher
Syma torotoro
Hook-billed Kingfisher
Melidora macrorrhina
Papuan Dwarf-Kingfisher
Ceyx solitarius
Little Kingfisher
Ceyx pusillus
Kofiau Paradise-Kingfisher
Tanysiptera ellioti
Azure Kingfisher
Ceyx azureus
Red-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher
Tanysiptera nympha
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Beach Kingfisher in Raja Ampat?
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Beach Kingfisher sighting in Raja Ampat, based on 740 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Beach Kingfisher in Raja Ampat?
April has the highest sighting rate for Beach Kingfisher in Raja Ampat in our monthly data.