Pied Kingfisher

Pied Kingfisher

Scientific Name: Ceryle rudis

Malay Name: Pekaka-Berjambul Biasa

Chinese Name: 斑鱼狗

Range: Breeding Range: (AF, OR) widespread, also Middle East.

Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: syriacus, rudis, leucomelanurus, travancoreensis, insignis.

Size: 25-30.5 cm

Identification: Only kingfisher in range with black and white plumage. Black crown and crest, upperparts and wings black with white edgings, white wing patch on wing coverts. Male has a two black breastbands while female only possesses one. 

Habitat: Elsewhere generally found on the edges and banks of large, open water bodies, including lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, dams, and mangroves.

Behaviour/Ecology: Elsewhere seen catching fish by hovering almost motionless above water before diving in to capture prey.

Local Status: Vagrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2017)

Location: Only sighting of this bird in Singapore was at Punggol in 18 September 1994.

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis
Average number of individuals by week based on Singapore Bird Database data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024 (all records)
Early date 18 Sep 1994
Late date 18 Sep 1994
Bar chart not displayed for this species; no records in the given time period.
Only one past record, at Punggol on 18 Sep 1994.
Pied Kingfisher at Sri Lanka. Photo Credit: Dillen Ng
Pied Kingfisher at Sri Lanka. Photo Credit: Dillen Ng

External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Pied Kingfisher)

References:

BirdLife International. (2017). Ceryle rudis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22683645A110626699.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Pied Kingfisher. Retrieved on December 17, 2024 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/pied-kingfisher.

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