Todiramphus leucopygius
The Ultramarine Kingfisher, *Todiramphus leucopygius*, is a stunning yet subtly marked kingfisher endemic to the Solomon Islands archipelago. Measuring approximately 16-18 cm in length with a robust, pointed black bill, males boast striking ultramarine blue upperparts, a stark white underbelly, a distinctive white collar, and a prominent white patch on the rump. A white superciliary stripe above the eye adds to its identification. Females are similar but may exhibit a greener tinge to the blu...
This species primarily inhabits humid lowland forests, including primary and secondary growth, plantations, and coastal areas, typically found up to an elevation of 1000 meters.
This kingfisher primarily preys on insects, including orthopterans, hymenopterans, coleopterans, and lepidopteran larvae, supplemented with small lizards and other terrestrial invertebrates, captured by sallying from a perch.
The Ultramarine Kingfisher is generally solitary or found in pairs, often perching inconspicuously within the forest understory. Its foraging strategy is primarily 'sally-gleaning' or 'sally-striking'; it darts from a low perch to snatch insects or small vertebrates from foliage, branches, or the...
The Ultramarine Kingfisher is strictly endemic to the Solomon Islands archipelago in Melanesia. Its distribution encompasses several major islands, including Bougainville (geopolitically part of Papua New Guinea but biogeographically part of the Solomons), Choiseul, Santa Isabel, Malaita, Guadalc...
Near Threatened
- Unlike many of its kingfisher relatives, the Ultramarine Kingfisher is largely insectivorous and terrestrial, rarely consuming fish. - It is endemic to the Solomon Islands, making it a true island specialist found nowhere else on Earth. - Its scientific name, *leucopygius*, translates to 'white...