Blue-eared Kingfisher
Alcedo meninting
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCoraciiformes (Rollers, Kingfishers, and Allies)
- FamilyAlcedinidae (Kingfishers)
- GenusAlcedo (Typical River Kingfishers)
- SpeciesAlcedo meninting (Blue-eared Kingfisher)
About the Blue-eared Kingfisher
The blue-eared kingfisher (Alcedo meninting) is found in Asia, ranging across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is found mainly in dense shaded forests where it hunts in small streams. It is darker crowned, with darker rufous underparts and lacking the rufous ear stripe of the common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) which is found in more open habitats. A number of subspecies have been described that differ in measurement and colour shade. Adult males have an all dark bill while females have a reddish lower mandible.
The blue-eared kingfisher was described by the American naturalist Thomas Horsfield in 1821 and given its current binomial name Alcedo meninting. The name Alcedo is the Latin word for a "kingfisher". The specific epithet meninting is the Javanese word for the species. The blue-eared kingfisher is one of seven species in the genus Alcedo and is most closely related to Blyth's kingfisher (Alcedo hercules).
Several plumage variations in the population that occur across its wide distribution range have been recognized as subspecies: A. m. coltarti Baker ECS, 1919 – Nepal, northeast India, northern Thailand and Indochina A. m. phillipsi Baker ECS, 1927... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Sepilok
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthis
Blue-banded Kingfisher
Alcedo euryzona
Black-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher
Ceyx erithaca
Stork-billed Kingfisher
Pelargopsis capensis
Collared Kingfisher
Todiramphus chloris
Rufous-collared Kingfisher
Actenoides concretus
Banded Kingfisher
Lacedo pulchella
Ruddy Kingfisher
Halcyon coromanda
Blue-throated Bee-eater
Merops viridis
Dollarbird
Eurystomus orientalis
Red-bearded Bee-eater
Nyctyornis amictus
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 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 2 | Tanjung Puting National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 3 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 4 | Way Kambas National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 5 | Cat Tien National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 6 | Bali Barat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 7 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 8 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 9 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 10 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 11 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 12 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 13 | Khao Luang National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 14 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 15 | Kaziranga National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 16 | Doi Inthanon National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 17 | Tangkoko Nature Reserve | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 18 | Periyar National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 19 | Nagarhole National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 20 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Blue-eared Kingfisher in Sepilok?
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-eared Kingfisher sighting in Sepilok, based on 783 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Blue-eared Kingfisher in Sepilok?
December has the highest sighting rate for Blue-eared Kingfisher in Sepilok in our monthly data.