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Biak Paradise-Kingfisher Tanysiptera riedelii Scientific name definitions

P. F. Woodall
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated November 24, 2017

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Field Identification

37 cm, including tail-streamers; male 63–70 g, female 55–72 g. Both sexes brilliant pale blue crown and nape , dark blue upperparts , white rump and tail; central rectrices 15–16 cm longer than rest, white at base, blue in narrow central portion, with white spatulate tips; white underparts; bill orange-red; iris dark brown; legs and feet greenish-grey to yellowish-brown. Distinguished from similar T. galatea by brighter blue crown and nape, more white in tail , stouter bill. Juvenile duller upperparts, shorter tail pale buff and scalloped, dusky brown bill.

Systematics History

Traditionally placed in a species-group with T. galatea, T. ellioti and T. carolinae; commonly regarded as conspecific with the first two, but morphological differences support treatment as separate species. Monotypic.

Subspecies

Monotypic.

Distribution

Biak I and adjoining Supiori I, in N Geelvink Bay (NW New Guinea).

Habitat

Dense primary forest, particularly bordering watercourses, possibly also secondary and disturbed forest; to at least 300 m, possibly to 600 m.

Movement

Presumably sedentary.

Diet and Foraging

No information; presumably similar to other Tanysiptera species.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Low, distinctive, barking call of 1 or 2 notes.

Breeding

No information.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife NT Near Threatened
Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near-threatened. Restricted-range species: present in Geelvink Islands EBA. Occurs in the Biak-Urara Protected Area, which covers 110 km². Poorly known, and conflicting reports on its abundance: alleged to be fairly common in primary, secondary and logged forest, but reported by others to be rare and to be restricted to tall forest. Although forest habitat on Biak seriously threatened from logging and subsistence farming, there appear to be large areas of forest remaining on Supiori. If species is able to tolerate degraded forest, as some reports suggest, then it may survive without too many problems; its adaptability and its present population level are uncertain, however, and further research may show that it is under threat.
Distribution of the Biak Paradise-Kingfisher - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Biak Paradise-Kingfisher

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Woodall, P. F. (2020). Biak Paradise-Kingfisher (Tanysiptera riedelii), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.bipkin1.01
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