Birds
Collared Kingfisher
Todiramphus chloris · also called collared kingfishers
Perched with a bright white collar catching the light against a blue-green back, a collared kingfisher can be found across an almost unbelievable stretch of the world, thriving from mangroves near the Red Sea to gardens across Australia and the Pacific.
Overview
The collared kingfisher, Todiramphus chloris, is a blue-green and white kingfisher native to coastal and wetland habitat across an enormous range spanning the Red Sea, South and Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Pacific. Its extraordinarily wide distribution, generalist diet spanning fish, crabs, insects, and small reptiles, and tolerance for habitats from mangroves to urban gardens make it one of the most successful and widely adaptable kingfishers found anywhere on Earth.
Success through flexibility
Where many kingfishers specialise narrowly in one habitat or prey type, the collared kingfisher’s willingness to eat almost anything and live almost anywhere has let it spread across a larger stretch of the planet than nearly any other kingfisher species.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread and stable across suitable coastal and wetland habitat spanning its enormous global range.
Collared Kingfisher: common questions
How wide is the collared kingfisher's range?
This species has one of the widest distributions of any kingfisher in the world, found across a vast stretch spanning the Red Sea, South and Southeast Asia, and Australia and the Pacific.
Why is the collared kingfisher named that?
This species has a distinctive white collar contrasting with a blue-green back, a feature clearly visible at close range that gives the species its common name.
Why has the collared kingfisher spread so widely?
This species is highly tolerant of a wide range of habitats, from mangroves and coastal scrub to gardens and urban parks, combined with an unusually generalist diet that lets it thrive across very different environments.
Does the collared kingfisher only eat fish?
No, this species has an unusually generalist diet for a kingfisher, taking fish, crabs, insects, and small reptiles rather than specialising heavily on any single type of prey.