Ruddy Kingfisher

Scientific Name: Halcyon coromanda

Malay Name: Pekaka Belacan

Chinese Name: 赤翡翠

Range: Found from Indian subcontinent, China, Korea, Japan to Southeast Asia with more northerly populations wintering south

Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: coromanda, major, bangsi, mizorhina, minor, linae, claudiae, rufa, pelingensis, sulana.

Local Subspecies: minor (resident), coromanda (migrant)

Size: 26.5-27 cm

Identification: Adult has bright rufescent plumage, violet-tinged upperside, bluish-white patch on lower back and rump and bright red bill. Juvenile has browner upperparts, brilliant blue (less whitish) lower back and rump, narrow dark brown bars on underparts and brownish orange bill.

Habitat: Forest, forest edge, wooded areas and mangroves.

Behaviour/Ecology: Feeds on fish, crustaceans, and large insects. When in habitat with less running water, they are known to take frogs and other amphibians.

Local Status: Uncommon migrant and rare visitor

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Location: Migratory coromanda can show up at any wooded habitat in Singapore, Sundaic minor thought to still be resident in Pulau Tekong, occasionally found at Pulau Ubin, and sometimes on Singapore island (Sungei Buloh, Lim Chu Kang) during the winter season.

Featured articles:

Featured reports: Sep 2022, Oct 2022, Nov 2022, Apr 2023, Sep 2023

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Ruddy Kingfisher Halcyon coromanda
Estimated average number of individuals by week based on eBird data, Jul 2013 to Jun 2023
Peak week Oct 22-Oct 28
Early date 20 Jul 2021
Late date 30 Jun 2016
The resident subspecies minor has recently been recorded year-round on Pulau Ubin and might be breeding there. Subspecies coromanda is a scarce winter visitor and passage migrant.
Juvenile Ruddy Kingfisher at Bidadari. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Ruddy Kingfisher. Photo Credit: Solomon Anthony
Ruddy Kingfisher at Bidadari. Photo Credit: Francis Yap

External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Ruddy Kingfisher)

References:

BirdLife International. (2016). Halcyon coromanda. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22683234A92979549.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.). Ruddy Kingfisher. Retrieved on December 1, 2023 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/ruddy-kingfisher.

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