Stuart Rae

Kutini-Payamu Kingfishers

Any readers of the previous post with a bit of knowledge of the birds of the Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park in Cape York, north Queensland will have wondered why there were no photographs of any of the kingfishers that occur there. Well, that is because they are such spectacular birds that I have placed them here in a separate post.

Perhaps the most spectacular kingfisher in the area is the seasonal migrant, the Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher Tanysiptera sylvia. This bird migrates south from New Guinea when the wet season approaches in November and it breeds in the forests of north-eastern Queensland. Despite their long tail feathers, they specialise in nesting in holes they dig into ground termite nests. How do they look after such long tail streamers.

Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher. A profile of a bird's head showing the detailed feathering of the crown, and the typically curve-edged shape of their bill. 

Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher. A pointed end view of the bill.

Little Kingfisher Ceyx pusillus. The flamboyant Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher is probably the most readily seen kingfisher in the forest, and the Little Kingfisher is probably most difficult to see. They only weigh 10-16 grams and that bill which looks so large on the bird by proportion is only 30 mm long, about a quarter of the total body length. They also have very short tails, like most true fish-eating kingfishers, and not like that of the Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher, which hunts terrestrial prey.

Little Kingfisher. And yes, they really are that blue. A blue which complements the pure white of the breast. Stunningly beautiful birds.

Little Kingfisher. Another pointed end view along a bill. I wonder why they have those two headlight white spots between their eyes and their bill. They must have a purpose.

Azure Kingfisher Ceyx azureus. The other true kingfisher that occurs in the study area. This is a more widespread species whose range extends down the east of Australia as far as Victoria.

Azure Kingfisher. This pointed end view shows two pale orange-buff spots between the eyes and bill. Again, what is their purpose. Everything in nature has evolved for an advantageous reason. 

Yellow-billed Kingfisher Syma torotoro. another trans Cape York - New Guinea species, which in Australia, only occurs in the Cape York peninsula. This is one of those kingfishers that seems to have a very large head compared with the whole body. These birds are another dry ground hunter, well not in the wet rainforest, and they dig nests in arboreal ant nests. 

Yellow-billed Kingfisher. That bill is about 40 mm long and although the crest appears to be big too, that is all feathers and less structural. 

Yellow-billed Kingfisher. The pointed-end view. The bird's crest is blowing off centre in the wind.

Yellow-billed Kingfisher. A rear head view. Compare this with the previous shot from the front. Those two dark spots on the back of the head look so like eyes. Are they a method of protection from potential predators. If a goshawk were to see that it might re-consider attacking a bird that seems to be looking straight at it.

To end this page here is a short video of the Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher display. The male is calling, he has pure white tail streamers. The female flies in, she has pale blue edges to her tail streamers. Click to open the video in full screen. The call and the depth of the foliage in the film give a fine feeling for the ambiance of the rainforest.

I would like to again thank Jon Coleman for organising this trip as part of a long-term study, back in late November-early December 2020.