| Alcedo | |
|---|---|
| |
| Common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Coraciiformes |
| Family: | Alcedinidae |
| Subfamily: | Alcedininae |
| Genus: | Alcedo Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Type species | |
| Alcedo ispida Linnaeus, 1758
| |
| Species | |
|
See text | |
| Phylogeny |
| Cladogram based on Andersen et al. (2017)1 |
Alcedo is a genus of birds in the kingfisher subfamily Alcedininae. The genus was introduced by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae.2 The type species is the common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis).3 Alcedo is the Latin for "kingfisher".4
Species
The genus contains the following eight species:5
| Image | Scientific name | Common name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Alcedo coerulescens | Cerulean kingfisher | Indonesia. |
| Alcedo euryzona | Javan blue-banded kingfisher | Java | |
 |
Alcedo peninsulae | Malaysian blue-banded kingfisher | Myanmar, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, southwestern Thailand and Borneo |
 |
Alcedo quadribrachys | Shining-blue kingfisher | Senegal and Gambia to west central Nigeria to Kenya, northwest Zambia and north Angola |
 |
Alcedo meninting | Blue-eared kingfisher | Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia |
 |
Alcedo atthis | Common kingfisher | across Eurasia and North Africa |
 |
Alcedo semitorquata | Half-collared kingfisher | southern and eastern Africa. |
 |
Alcedo hercules | Blyth's kingfisher | China, Vietnam, Myanmar, Bhutan in northeastern India, and a vagrant in Bangladesh and eastern Nepal |
Unlike many kingfishers, all members of Alcedo are specialist fish-eaters. They all have some blue feathers on their upper-parts and most species have a black bill.6 Except for the cerulean kingfisher they all have some rufous in their plumage. The female generally has more red on the lower mandible than the male.7 The smallest species is the cerulean kingfisher which is around 13 cm (5.1 in) in length;8 much the largest is Blyth's kingfisher with a length of 22 cm (8.7 in).9
References
References
- Andersen, M.J.; McCullough, J.M.; Mauck III, W.M.; Smith, B.T.; Moyle, R.G. (2017). "A phylogeny of kingfishers reveals an Indomalayan origin and elevated rates of diversification on oceanic islands". Journal of Biogeography. 45 (2): 1–13. doi:10.1111/jbi.13139.
- Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturæ per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis, Volume 1 (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th ed.). Holmiae:Laurentii Salvii. p. 115.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link) - Peters, James Lee, ed. (1945). Check-list of Birds of the World. Volume 5. Vol. 5. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 170.
- Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 40. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
- Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2016). "Rollers, ground rollers & kingfishers". World Bird List Version 6.3. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
- Moyle, R.G.; Fuchs, J.; Pasquet, E.; Marks, B.D. (2007). "Feeding behavior, toe count, and the phylogenetic relationships among alcedinine kingfishers (Alcedininae)". Journal of Avian Biology. 38 (3): 317–326. doi:10.1111/J.2007.0908-8857.03921.x.
- Fry, Fry & Harris 1992, pp. 210–224.
- Fry, Fry & Harris 1992, pp. 210–211.
- Fry, Fry & Harris 1992, pp. 223–224.
Sources
Sources
- Fry, C. Hilary; Fry, Kathie; Harris, Alan (1992). Kingfishers, Bee-eaters, and Rollers. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 978-0-7136-8028-7.