Family Kingfishers (Alcedinidae)
Least Concern
Common Paradise-kingfisher (Tanysiptera galatea)
Taxonomy
French: Martin-chasseur à longs brins German: Spatelliest Spanish: Alción colilargo común
Taxonomy:
Tanysiptera galatea
G. R. Gray
, 1859,Manokwari, New Guinea
.
Subspecies and Distribution
T. g. brunhildae
Jany, 1955 – Doi I, off N Halmahera (N Moluccas).
T. g. emiliae
Sharpe, 1871 – Rau I, off N Halmahera.
T. g. doris
Wallace, 1862 – Morotai.
T. g. browningi
Ripley, 1983 – Halmahera.
T. g. sabrina
G. R. Gray, 1861 – Kayoa I, off SW Halmahera.
T. g. margarethae
Heine, 1860 – Bacan.
T. g. obiensis
Salvadori, 1877 – Obi Latu, Bisa and Obi.
T. g. acis
Wallace, 1863 – Buru (S Moluccas).
T. g. boanensis
Mees, 1964 – Boano I, off NW Seram.
T. g. nais
G. R. Gray, 1861 – Manipa, Ambon, Seram, Manawoka and Gorong.
T. g. galatea
G. R. Gray, 1859 – W Papuan Is E in New Guinea to Geelvink Bay and Triton Bay.
T. g. meyeri
Salvadori, 1889 – lowland N New Guinea E of Mamberamo R drainage to Ramu R drainage.
T. g. vulcani
Rothschild & E. J. O. Hartert, 1915 – Manam I, off NE New Guinea.
T. g. minor
Salvadori & D’Albertis, 1875 – lowland S New Guinea, and W of N coast to Holnicote Bay.
T. g. rosseliana
Tristram, 1889 – Rossel I, in Louisiade Archipelago.
Descriptive notes
33–43 cm, including tail-streamers; male 58–65 g, female 55–69 g (galatea), 40–78 g (other races). Male nominate race blue crown, dark blue... read more
Voice
1–4 mournful whistles, at same pitch, accelerating to a trill, lasting 1·5 seconds;... read more
Habitat
Monsoon forest and primary lowland rainforest, to 300 m, occasionally to 820 m. Also found in... read more
Food and feeding
Many earthworms (Annelida) taken; also snails (Gastropoda), beetles (Coleoptera), grasshoppers (Orthoptera), caterpillars (Lepidoptera),... read more
Breeding
Lays in wet season, Oct–Mar (Jul) in Papua New Guinea. Nest 2–6 m above the ground in arboreal termitarium of ... read more
Movements
Generally very sedentary, adults maintaining a territory throughout year and moving little more... read more
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened. In some areas, can be very numerous, with densities of e.g. 5 birds/ha, and, locally, individuals can live for fairly long time. On other hand,... read more
Traditionally placed in a species-group with T. ellioti, T. riedelii and T. carolinae; commonly regarded as conspecific with the first two, but morphological differences support treatment as separate species. Fifteen subspecies currently recognized.