Actenoides monachus
The Green-backed Kingfisher (*Actenoides monachus*) is a striking, medium-sized forest kingfisher endemic to the island of Sulawesi and its satellite islands in Indonesia. Measuring approximately 28-32 cm (11-12.5 inches) in length and weighing between 110-150 grams, it boasts a captivating plumage of dark green upperparts, rufous to orange-buff underparts, and a distinct dark brown or blackish "hood" on its head, often accented by a variable rufous collar or stripe. A prominent, heavy red bi...
This species inhabits dense, primary lowland and hill rainforests, often found near streams but not exclusively, ranging from sea level up to approximately 1,600 meters (5,200 ft) elevation.
Its diet primarily consists of large insects (such as beetles, grasshoppers, cicadas, and mantises), spiders, scorpions, small lizards, frogs, and occasionally small snakes or crabs, typically caught by sallying from a perch.
The Green-backed Kingfisher is a predominantly solitary and diurnal bird, typically observed perching motionless for extended periods in the understory or mid-canopy, relying on its cryptic coloration for camouflage. Its primary foraging strategy involves sallying from a perch to snatch prey from...
The Green-backed Kingfisher is strictly endemic to the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia, and its various satellite islands, including Buton, Muna, Peleng, Banggai, and Togian. It is a non-migratory, resident species found year-round within its range. Its distribution spans suitable forest habitats a...
Least Concern
- The Green-backed Kingfisher's heavy, bright red bill is primarily adapted for catching terrestrial invertebrates and small vertebrates, rather than the fish commonly associated with kingfishers. - Unlike many kingfishers that dig nests into earthen banks, this species excavates its nesting cavi...